Getting By
by FifiDoll
Summary: Sequel to Help Me. You probably won't understand this unless you've read that first. This follows Sam and Finn as they finish their senior year and get ready for college, all while getting used to parenthood.
1. Chapter 1

The Christmas tree stood tall in the corner of the living room, decorated from top to bottom in hand-made ornaments from when Finn and Kurt were younger. Wrapped gifts were tucked underneath the tree and the bright gold star gleamed at the top. More gifts were scattered around the outside of the tree, many of which labeled as gifts from 'Santa.' The house was still, and the sun was shining on the snow covered lawns of Lima.

Almost like clockwork, at seven o'clock, loud, shrill cries rang out from Sam and Annika's room. Sam sighed and rolled over in bed. Annika was in her crib crying, ready to get up and start the day. He climbed out of bed, lazily scooping her up and over to the changing table like it was an old habit. It was, truly; he'd changed enough diapers to last a lifetime, and she was only two months old (one month, technically, according to the doctor, but Sam hated that she had two ages).

He tipped her pacifier in her mouth and changed her diaper as she squirmed around on the changing table. Little tufts of light brown hair were growing on her head, and she looked up at Sam with big blue eyes still brimming with tears. Finally he got her changed and snapped up her sleeper (Christmas themed – one of the many gifts from Carole) before scooping her up in his arms again and making his way to the kitchen.

It didn't surprise Sam at all that Burt was already shuffling around the kitchen with his coffee – he woke early every morning and often would help Sam with Annika in the morning. It was a comfortable companionship, even if Sam wasn't his son, by blood or by marriage. Christmas morning was no exception, and by the time Sam made his way to the kitchen, Burt already had a bottle warmed up and ready for Annika. "You want me to feed her so you can get a little more sleep?" Burt offered.

Sam rarely got to sleep in, and frankly, Burt thought the boy deserved it. Just as Sam was about to accept the offer, Finn poked his head through the doorway. "Does this mean we can open presents, now?" he asked, grinning.

Burt laughed and said, "If you can get Kurt out of bed, go for it."

Kurt had never been one to wake up early for Christmas, at least since he'd started middle school, and Burt assumed Kurt wouldn't get up early this year, especially for Finn. Sam hoped that Kurt would stay in bed, but unfortunately he seemed to be just as enthusiastic about Christmas as Finn that year. Sam grumbled and wiped the sleep from his eyes before letting Burt take Annika. He curled up in the corner of the couch as Burt took a seat on the recliner, feeding her happily.

Carole meandered into the kitchen as well, pouring herself a mug of coffee. "You felt like getting up this year, huh Kurt?" Burt asked, a little confused by it all.

"Of course," Kurt nodded, nursing his own mug of coffee. "It's Annika's first Christmas and I decided that I was going to spoil her. It _is_ my job, after all."

"Kurt, you didn't have to," Sam spoke up instantly, embarrassment obvious on his face.

"Oh, Sam, he's a proud uncle," Carole said, sitting down on the couch next to him. "Let him have his fun."

Sam wasn't so sure, since they all took such good care of Sam and Annika anyway, but there was nothing he could do about it now – they'd already bought the presents anyway. "Well, Finn, since you were so excited, why don't you deal out the presents," Carole said, pushing Finn off the couch.

Eagerly, Finn stood and started handing out the presents. Kurt watched as Finn placed one in front of him and looked up at his dad, "Really dad? From Santa? We're not eight years old anymore."

"Kurt! There's a child in the room!" Burt teased.

Everyone laughed as Finn finished handing out the gifts – Annika had the most by far, but she just lay content in Burt's arms, curled up, her tummy full and her empty bottle sitting on the side table. Her big blue eyes watched the rest of the room, even though she didn't know what was going on. "Want to play on the floor for a while?" Burt asked her, spreading out her blanket on an open piece of floor with one hand and cradling her with the other.

He set her down and everyone tore into their presents. Sam was guilty as he opened his first gift – from "Santa" – to find a new sweatshirt. It was a plain white and gray striped sweatshirt, but it wasn't stretched in the belly like all of Sam's other ones, and it was a nice brand, too. He smiled and resisted the urge to tell Burt and Carole that they shouldn't have gotten him anything. There was a box labeled as being from them on top of the gift from Santa, and he really felt bad. Inside were a bunch of comic books that Sam loved, including Sin City and Fallen Angel. He looked up at Carole and Burt, beaming, and thanked them.

"You're welcome, sweetie," Carole smiled.

Around him, everyone else was opening gifts as well. As usual, Kurt's gifts were all stylish and probably something nobody would wear, but it was the thought that counted, and Sam was grateful for every gift he got. Kurt had gotten Sam a new sweater from American Eagle, and while Sam knew that Kurt had spent a bunch of money on it, he appreciated it, because he knew how much Kurt despised the store (their fragrances smell cheap and their styles are too preppy).

Spotting the massive pile of gifts for Annika littered on the floor near where she lay cooing on her blanket, Sam climbed down to the floor, "Let's open your presents now, baby girl."

He reached out and started opening present after present, holding them above her to get her coo of approval. The little noises she made were adorable, and besides crying, Sam didn't think she could really do anything that would annoy him. He'd told Carole this, and she just laughed and told him to wait until she started talking. Finn crawled across the floor to Annika and he helped Sam open the rest of her gifts. She had piles of toys and clothes from Kurt, Burt, and Carole. "You guys spoil her," Sam said with a laugh.

"It's our job," Burt replied, a warm gaze fixed on the boys and their daughter, all seated on the floor.

Annika's little limbs reached out and flailed, the muscles still not entirely under her control. Burt was opening his gifts and the sweater Kurt and bought for him had accidentally fallen to the floor. Annika's tiny fist dug into the fabric and she tugged it over herself as her arms waved. "Hey now," Finn said sweetly, reaching out to gently pry her fingers away from the sweater. "That's grandpa's sweater."

Sam watched adoringly as Finn was so gentle with Annika. Sam would never understand it, but for some reason, watching Finn take care of Annika did amazing things for him. He'd always feel this swell in his chest and catch himself smiling. Finn would get all self-conscious about it, but Sam thought it was cute. "Finn," Kurt whispered harshly, trying to get his attention without Sam noticing.

Sam took great attention in Annika as Finn leaned back to Kurt. Kurt whispered in his ear and Finn rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I did, I'm just…waiting for the right moment."

Sam's eyes darted over to Finn and Kurt and Kurt sent a pointed look Finn's way. With a sigh, Finn stood and left the room. "What was that all about?" Carole asked, moving down to the floor to help Sam open some of Annika's new toys.

"You'll see," Kurt said, watching with interest as Burt, Carole, and Sam all took turns trying to open one simple toy.

Finn returned a few minutes later with a large gift in hand. He was carrying a dark guitar case, a lone red Christmas ribbon perched on the top of it. "Uh…what's that?" Sam asked, eyeing it skeptically.

"It's your Christmas present," Finn said earnestly, holding it out in front of him so Sam could get a better look.

The case was plain black and looked a little worse for wear, and it looked…familiar. Sam stood up and wandered over to where Finn stood with the guitar. Spinning the case around, Sam saw the crooked 'Bikini Kill' sticker and realized just why it looked so familiar. "You found my guitar?" Sam asked incredulously.

Finn nodded, his smile wide and proud. He pushed the case out towards Sam and the blonde took it hesitantly. "But…where?" Sam asked.

"I think your dad might have sold it or something," Finn said, his smile fading into a wince. He perked up when he said, "Puck said he saw it at a pawn shop though, and I knew I had to get it for you. I mean, you can't go without music. You're going to teach Annika how to play with this thing."

Sam smiled and bowed his head, "You didn't have to get me this, you know."

"I wanted to," Finn replied insistently. "I mean, it's Christmas, and you're my boyfriend. Boyfriends give each other presents."

Kurt, Carole, and Burt busied themselves with Annika, trying to give the boys a few moments alone. "I…" Sam looked up at Finn, torn between insisting that he return it and hugging him for buying it. He sighed and settled on, "Thank you."

Finn noticed that there weren't any more gifts left to open and he instantly felt stupid for his comment. "Okay, who wants some cinnamon rolls?" Carole asked, interrupting their awkward silence.

Carole's cinnamon rolls were delicious and she only made them for holidays, so Finn's face lit up and he led Sam into the kitchen before either of them could say something stupid. They ate breakfast and spent the day together watching A Christmas Story for the hundredth time that month. Afterwards, Kurt and Carole went into the kitchen to prepare the huge Christmas dinner. Burt offered to rock Annika to sleep for her nap and told the boys to go relax for a bit. Sam and Finn went upstairs, Finn with the intention of playing video games, Sam with a completely different intention.

He sat on the end of Finn's bed and pulled his guitar out. "Dude, my drums are out in the garage," Finn offered. "It's cold but we could go out there."

"Nah, this is fine," Sam shrugged. "I mean…I…I wrote something I wanted you to hear."

Sam was nervous; the butterflies in his stomach were starting to piss him off and he really just needed to get this song out there. He'd been working on it with Puck for weeks. Originally Sam was going to borrow Puck's guitar to play the song for Finn, but apparently Puck knew a lot more than either boy was aware of. "Just…sit down," Sam instructed as Finn watched him stupidly.

Finn nodded and sat on the chair by the desk in the corner of the room. It was piled high with junk and obviously never used for its intended purpose. Sam took a deep breath and started strumming at his guitar. It felt good to have it back; he'd always hated using other people's guitars – they felt weird and the strings were always just a little different than his own. He knew how his guitar worked and he was thankful that he didn't have to get used to a different one.

Finn watched as Sam strummed the first few chords, the song soothing and slow. Sam's voice joined the strings and it all flowed together so well. The words floated around, strings of sound pulling him into Sam's performance and leaving him speechless. It wasn't something Finn had ever expected – for his boyfriend to write him a song.

It seemed to go on forever, Sam's song serenading Finn into a peacefulness he hadn't felt in a while. Sam watched Finn nervously as Finn just closed his eyes and gave a small smile, enjoying the song. When the song ended, Finn opened his eyes slowly and Sam bit his lip nervously. "So uh…did you like it?" he asked, unsure of Finn's real feelings about the song.

It hadn't been that great, if Sam was being totally honest, but it was a better song than some of the other glee club members had written, and that made him feel accomplished. "It was awesome," Finn said, a grin breaking across his face.

"You think so?" Sam asked, unsure.

Finn nodded fervently. "It's really cool that you wrote that," he insisted. "I mean, it was _really_ good, dude."

Sam couldn't help it – a smile crept upon his face and he looked at Finn happily. He set the guitar to the side and sighed, content. "Well, I'm glad you liked it, then," he nodded. "Merry Christmas, Finn."

"Merry Christmas, Sam," Finn replied, sitting next to Sam on the bed.

They stared at each other for a moment. It was no longer awkward, looking at each other so adoringly. When they were alone, it was easier for them to loosen up, and they weren't afraid to show affection. They'd come a long way in less than a year. Slowly, Finn reached out and rested his hand against Sam's cheek as he leaned in closer.

Their noses brushed and Sam's eyes fluttered shut. He always felt stupid if he kept his eyes open as long as Finn seemed to…he felt like he was going cross eyed or something. He could feel Finn's breath on his lips and his own breath caught. Just as Finn was about to close the distance, Kurt bounded into the room. Sam and Finn backed away and Kurt froze as he realized what he'd interrupted. "Oh, sorry," he offered, guilt on his face. "I um…dinner is ready."

"Thanks Kurt," Finn replied. "We'll be down in a minute."

He was frustrated and didn't bother to look up at Kurt. Sam just sent Kurt an apologetic look as Kurt excused himself from the room. Finn and Sam sat there awkwardly for a moment. "We should uh…get downstairs," Finn said, clearing his throat.

Sam nodded and looked up at Finn. He leaned forward and gave Finn a quick kiss on the lips before standing and leaving the room, leaving Finn to follow, a pink blush still across his cheeks. Yeah, things were going well for them.


	2. Chapter 2

Returning to school after Christmas break was strange for Sam. He hadn't been in school since before his second bout of bed rest and it felt nice to be back. He constantly worried about Annika (who was in the care of one of Carole's friends from work, free of charge) but all in all, school wasn't bad. Even though Finn had insisted that he re-join football, Sam had resisted. Glee club would be his only extracurricular for his senior year; he had Annika to take care of and he couldn't be running around doing a million things with school instead.

Getting back to glee club was nice, but everyone kept looking at him strangely. Kurt and Finn were the only ones besides Brittany that saw Sam no differently. For others, it was like he was the odd man out in the room. They weren't used to seeing him without his swollen belly, even if it had been poorly hidden underneath his oversized clothes. Even Mr. Schuester sent Sam a strange look before starting up glee club.

They jumped right into music; they sang through a slow ballad and Sam found himself almost falling asleep. Finn seemed just as tired, and they tried to ignore the disappointed looks Mr. Schue was sending them. They had to get up with Annika during the night; she had a cold and couldn't stay asleep for very long, unfortunately. School was rough, but they both made it through the day. "Hey, dude, want to go get some coffee before we go home?" Finn asked, meeting Sam at his locker after school.

"I kind of want to get home to Annika," Sam admitted, looking up at Sam guiltily.

Finn looked disappointed and said, "We can just go through the drive through. I know you miss her, and I do too, but I feel like we never have any time alone."

"We _can't_ have any time alone, Finn," Sam sighed. He checked to be sure that nobody was around before he leaned in and whispered, "We're _parents_ now."

"Yeah, I know, but mom is picking Annika up on her way home from work anyway, so she won't even be home when we get there," Finn pointed out. "Why don't you want to spend time with me in public?"

"It's not that," Sam said, slamming his locker shut and walking down the hall, slinging his backpack over his shoulder roughly.

Finn stalked after him and asked, "Well what is it then?"

Sam avoided Finn's eyes and walked out to the parking lot where Kurt had left his Navigator. Blaine had picked Kurt up after school and they'd gone out some place – a movie maybe? Finn couldn't remember – all he knew was that he had the keys to the Navigator and he wanted some alone time with Sam. Even if he _was_ bisexual or gay or curious or whatever Kurt wanted to call it, Finn was a dude, and he still had _needs_. Sam not putting out was just as frustrating as Rachel or Quinn not putting out, but with Sam it was worse, because he didn't even want Finn to _kiss_ him in public. The girls had at least let him do that.

Finn didn't really want to come out to the school or anything, because all the stuff Kurt went through was kind of sucky and Finn didn't want to deal with it, but Sam wouldn't even sit near him in Glee club. It was like he was ashamed of Finn or something, and it was kind of insulting. Glee club was just a bunch of their friends – they'd be supportive. Finn sighed and climbed into the Navigator as Sam took the passenger seat. "When is your mom done with work?" Sam asked anxiously.

"At five," Finn told him.

Sam sighed, apparently frustrated that he didn't get to see Annika right away. Halfway home, Sam spoke up softly, "If you want to go get coffee, we can."

"I'm not gonna make you, dude," Finn replied.

"Just, go," Sam insisted.

Finn sent Sam a look that said he didn't really believe him, but he did it anyway. They went through the drive through and Finn got his usual large hot chocolate (coffee tasted weird to him, but he wanted to feel cool and order from a coffee shop) and ordered Sam's usual small caramel latte. It sounded girly, but Sam liked it, and caramel was good, so it was fine. They drove home in silence, sipping their drinks occasionally.

The snow was getting old by now; they were ready for it to just melt so it could be spring. Spring meant baseball, and Finn wanted to take Annika to a baseball game really badly for some reason. When they pulled into the driveway, they climbed out of the car and wandered inside. They hadn't exchanged a single word the rest of the way home, and Finn was kind of frustrated. He finished the last of his hot chocolate and wandered through the house as Sam threw his own cup away. Sam started unzipping his jacket but Finn stopped him. "Just…come with me," he insisted, tugging Sam's hand away from the zipper and instead entwining it with his own.

Sam gave Finn a curious look but followed him through the house and into the backyard. It was full of snow and they were already getting their shoes and jeans wet as they walked through the yard. Sam looked around him at the cold, white expanse surrounding him. He'd never really liked snow. It was cold and sometimes made him catch cold, and Sam really preferred summer when he could run around for hours and drink water straight from the garden hose. At the moment, he was bundled up and shivering and nothing about it seemed fun.

Not even getting hit in the head with a snowball.

Sam spun around, an incredulous look on his face, as he met Finn's eyes. "Did you just…?" he asked, shocked.

Finn was grinning like a Cheshire cat, mischief glinting in his eyes. Sam shook his head and laughed at how childish Finn was being, but he knew he had to get his revenge. Sam reached down and grabbed a handful of snow. With a loud roar, he launched it across the yard at Finn. The hard ball of snow hit Finn on the shoulder and he laughed. "This means war!" Finn shouted, gathering up more snow in his hands.

They started running around the yard, tossing snow this way and that, only hitting each other with it half of the time. One well aimed toss on Finn's part had the ball of snow landing right on Sam's face, pricking at his skin and sending a shiver down his spine. It was like getting slushied at school, but worse because it came from his boyfriend. It was better, in a way, though, _because_ it was from his boyfriend. Sam didn't feel threatened by it. Sure, it brought back bad memories, but not this time.

No, this time Finn was rushing towards Sam, apologizing profusely but laughing his ass off at the same time. Sam just stood there, his eyes shut and his mouth open in shock, as the ice rolled down his face and dripped in his jacket. "Sam! Sam! I'm sorry!" Finn repeated, trying to push the laughter from his voice.

He flung his arms around Sam and tried to keep his balance, but he felt Sam swinging their bodies around. By the time Finn realized what was going on, he was on his back in the snow, Sam straddling his lap and tossing little bits of snow in Finn's face. "How do you like _that_?" Sam asked, laughing at Finn as he tried to swat Sam away.

Their fingers were frozen and tossing snow in their faces would probably make them sick, but they were having fun, and they were laughing, and even though they had cute moments with Annika, it wasn't the same. They genuinely seemed happy and things were going right for once. Nobody was cheating on anyone, and it was perfect. Sam was just about to stop tossing snow onto Finn and apologize when his strong hands gripped Sam and he spun them over, causing Sam to land on his back with a heavy "uff!"

Finn looked down at Sam triumphantly, the little bits of ice still dripping down his face. Sam tried to push Finn off of him, but it wasn't working. Their eyes stayed locked as Finn leaned down, his nose barely brushing against Sam's. Sam took a deep breath and stopped struggling against Finn. Instead his arms found the front of Finn's jacket and tugged.

Their lips crashed together roughly, Sam's strength taking Finn by surprise. He caught on right away, though, and moved his lips against Sam's enthusiastically. His tongue grazed Sam's lower lip and Sam allowed him entrance, the heat surrounding them making them forget all about the fact that they were lying in a pile of snow. Finn's tongue explored every crevice of Sam's mouth, memorizing every detail. Sam still kind of tasted like caramel and Finn liked it, and he found himself moaning into the kiss as Sam responded.

Sam tugged Finn closer to him, if it was even possible, his arms now wrapped around Finn's neck to hold him close. Finn ground down against Sam, both quickly becoming hard. Finn's lips trailed away from Sam's; across his jaw, down his neck, sucking at a spot just above the collar of his jacket. Sam let out a deep groan at the feeling, his head thrown back as his eyes squished shut. "Unh…Finn…" Sam muttered.

They were outside – anyone could see them. Sam knew they should stop and he kept trying to tell Finn to stop, but what he was doing felt _so good_. It could go on a _little_ longer, right? The slam of a car door in the driveway pulled them away from what they were doing. Finn backed away and stared down at Sam, his expression equal parts hilarity and embarrassment. Sam smiled and pushed Finn off of him before racing inside, locking the patio door behind him. He laughed as Finn pounded on the glass, begging to be let in. "Cute," Blaine commented with a coy smile.

Blaine and Kurt stood in the kitchen behind Sam, Kurt making hot cocoa while Blaine watched. "You should let him in," Kurt advised, not looking up from the pan of milk he was currently warming on the stove. "He catches a cold easier than anyone else I know. He'll be sick by tomorrow morning if you don't let him in now."

"He'll be sick anyway," Sam laughed, opening the door to let Finn inside.

"Not funny, dude," Finn pouted, but he looked anything but upset.

They shucked their shoes and jackets and went to their rooms to change out of their cold, wet clothes and into warm pajamas. It was a little early for pajamas, but lounging in sweatpants was much more comfortable than lounging in jeans.

Just as Kurt predicted, Finn was sick the next morning. He sat at the breakfast table, staring down at his bowl of oatmeal with drowsy eyes. Kurt nursed his mug of coffee and held back an "I told you so." Finn picked at his breakfast, only drinking his glass of orange juice because Carole insisted. "I think you should stay home today, sweetie," Carole said, her hand pressed against his forehead.

He reached blindly for the box of tissues and barely turned away from the table to blow his nose. Kurt pulled a face and stepped away from the table. "No way. You are not getting me sick," he said, wandering across the house. "I'm going to go make sure Sam got up."

Kurt peeked inside Sam's room, not wanting to knock in case Annika was asleep. It was still early and she didn't have to wake up yet. The more they let her sleep, the better. Sam was lying in bed, clutching to his own box of tissues. Annika was starting to fuss and usually Sam would jump to her rescue, but it was obvious that his sickness was getting in the way. "I see you and Finn successfully got yourselves sick," Kurt commented.

Sam just laughed at the memory. "Yeah, but it was fun," he said.

Kurt could tell just by hearing him speak that he was congested and his nose was stuffed up. Kurt sighed and smiled, "At least you two enjoyed yourselves. I'll take care of Annika this morning."

"No," Sam said instantly.

He always felt guilty whenever somebody else took care of Annika. She was his responsibility, and he shouldn't be burdening another family with her. "Don't be stupid, Sam," Kurt said, smiling down at Annika and scooping her up in his arms. "You just got sick and she's just finally getting over her cold. You don't want to get her sick all over again, do you?"

Sam looked up at Kurt, who was now changing Annika's diaper and clothes, and he knew that he had a point. Annika sucked to take care of when she was fussy and he really didn't want her sick all over again. He hated seeing her sick because he knew there was nothing he could do to help except force feed her medicine. That, and seeing her sick reminded him of when she had to stay in the hospital, and he'd really tried to repress those memories.

Nodding into his pillow, Sam muttered, "Thanks, Kurt."

"Finn is home sick, too. You guys can make each other soup or something," Kurt suggested, snapping up Annika's outfit for the day.

Sam just sighed and felt himself drifting off to sleep. When Kurt wandered out into the kitchen, he saw that only his dad and Carole were left. "No more Finn?" Kurt asked, sitting down at the table, still holding Annika.

Carole started getting a bottle ready as Burt said, "Nah, we sent him off to bed."

"Sam's sick too," Kurt sighed. "They had a snowball fight yesterday without hats or gloves."

Burt raised an eyebrow and Carole winked, "Yeah, that's _all_ that happened."

Kurt just gave them a smug grin and shrugged. Burt laughed and said, "Well you know what they say, a family that gets sick together, stays together."

"Yeah, dad, I'm pretty sure whoever 'they' is, doesn't say _that_," Kurt laughed.

Carole gave Burt a playful hit on the shoulder and said, "Oh, shush. Finn, Sam, and Annika are the cutest family I've seen since the four of us."

"You're probably right," Kurt admitted. "We are a good looking bunch."

Burt let out an incredulous laugh and said, "With how much I'm paying for all your face lotions and stuff, we had damn well better be a good looking bunch."

As quietly as he could, Sam climbed the stairs to Finn's room, his blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders. Nobody seemed to hear him as he crept through the house. Sam let himself into Finn's room and shut the door behind him. "Hey," Sam mumbled.

He sounded absolutely miserable, as did Finn. "Hi," Finn muttered in response.

Finn let out a cough and scooted over in bed. Sam climbed into bed next to him and dozed off just as a strong arm wrapped around his waist, holding him close.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam and Finn were back to school in no time, and they tried to ignore the strange looks the glee club kept giving them. "Sick at the same time because of a _snowball fight_?" Santana had asked after Artie wondered aloud why they had both been gone at the same time. "That's a new one."

"It's true," Finn insisted roughly, glaring at everyone before sending a sympathetic look Sam's way.

Sam just kept quiet. He sat on one side of Kurt, Finn on the other. Sam still wasn't that cool with sitting right next to Finn in the choir room, even if they'd done it before plenty of times before Annika was born. He said something about the jocks seeming suspicious, but Finn knew better than that. Rehearsal went fairly smoothly, considering they were learning choreography and Finn was…well…Finn. Afterwards, Sam left the choir room without waiting for Finn like he usually did. "Sam, wait!" Finn called after him.

Sam stared down at his shoes as he left the choir room silently. Quinn walked up to Finn and touched his arm gently. "Let me talk to him, okay?" she asked gently.

Finn looked down at her confused, "But…I'm his boyfriend."

"Trust me, I think I know what to do here," Quinn offered.

She looked up at him innocently and Finn nodded in response. Quinn nodded back and rushed out the door to Sam's locker. "Hey! Sam!" she called, smiling at him as she approached.

He looked up at her and said hello, but he didn't smile. "So…I noticed you didn't seem that happy today in glee club," Quinn continued.

"I'm fine," Sam said flatly, switching out his books in his locker.

"No, you're not," Quinn said firmly, pushing at his arm to spin him to face her. "I know what you're upset about, and I can tell that it's driving Finn insane."

Sam turned to face her and said, "I told you I'm fine. Besides, me and Finn are none of your business."

He spun and walked down the hallway, away from Quinn, but she wasn't going to let up that easily. She chased him down the hall and pushed him around the corner, away from everyone else. "You're upset," she said roughly, her strength surprising Sam as she kept him pressed against the wall. "You know that Finn is going to go to the college fair after school today."

Sam tried to brush off what she was saying as nothing. He scoffed and asked, "Why would that upset me?"

"Because you have to babysit Annika. You're a father now and you think that means you can't dream anymore," Quinn said, releasing her grip on him slowly.

Sam just stared down at her, a million thoughts running through his own mind. He pursed his lips and looked down at the floor. "You can still go to college and make a good life for yourself, Sam," Quinn insisted. "You know that, right?"

"I can't, though," Sam sighed. His voice was full of sadness and disappointment as he said, "My parents _kicked me out_, Quinn. I have no money, nowhere to go – I'm living off of my boyfriend's family I'm so pathetic. There's no way I can go away to college. I don't even know what I'd even go to school for, anyway."

"So instead of even bothering with school you're going to keep living off of someone else's family?" Quinn raised an eyebrow.

Sam's head snapped up and his eyes met Quinn's. He'd never thought of that. Kurt was super ambitious and had already been accepted to Juilliard, and Finn was most likely going to move out of Lima to go to school, too. He wanted to be a choir teacher, just like Mr. Schuester, and the only college in town didn't have that program. If Kurt and Finn moved out, Sam would _definitely_ have to leave. The thought was terrifying and Quinn must have noticed because she stepped towards him and squeezed his hand. "You're going to be fine, Sam," she insisted.

Sam's sad eyes met Quinn's and he asked softly, "But how do you know?"

"Because you're going to go to that college fair today after school, and you're going to apply to schools just like everyone else," she told him, flashing him a small smile.

"I can't," he shook his head. His hair fell in his eyes and he didn't even bother to push it away. "I have to babysit Annika today. The lady that takes care of her during the day has to work early."

Carole's friend from the hospital usually worked nights, and most of the time she started after Carole had a chance to pick Annika up after work, but she had to work early that day. It didn't happen very often, so Sam was fine with picking up Annika right after school. "I'm going to take care of her for you," Quinn insisted.

"No," Sam shook his head quickly. "You are _not_ going to blow this off just for me."

"I already applied to college," she shrugged. "I'm going to the same school my mom did – children of alumni get an awesome discount so we can still afford it."

Sam looked at Quinn apprehensively. "Trust me," Quinn insisted. "It's going to be fine. The college fair is only supposed to last an hour, and then you can go home to Annika. Just…please promise me you'll apply."

Sam could tell there was no dissuading Quinn, so he nodded. "Yeah, fine, just make sure you get the car seat thing out of Kurt's car or ride home with him or something."

She nodded and smiled, "I will."

Quinn pulled Sam into a quick hug before they went to their last class of the day. Sam sat all through class restlessly. He was nervous to go to the college fair; he didn't know what to expect or even what programs to look for because he hadn't considered the possibility of college. He was a teenage father and going to college just hadn't been in the cards, or so he thought.

After class, Sam went to his locker to gather his things. "Quinn texted me," Kurt said, approaching Sam out of nowhere.

Sam jumped and spun around. "Oh, yeah, I hope it's okay," Sam said. "I know you and Blaine had plans after school and she offered to watch Annika so I could go to the college fair."

Kurt seemed surprised for a second when Sam said he was going to go, but then he smiled and said, "Of course. I'm glad you're going."

Sam just nodded. Quinn approached and dragged Kurt away. She seemed excited to get out and take care of Annika. Sam gathered his books in his backpack and went down the hall to the classroom the different colleges were setting up in. Finn stood outside the doorway and looked surprised when Sam approached. "Hey," Finn said, shocked.

"Hi," Sam nodded curtly.

"I thought you were babysitting Annika today?" he asked, confused.

Sam shrugged and said, "Quinn offered to babysit so I could come check this out."

Finn looked skeptical and asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, she's been a little crazy ever since she gave up Beth. I think she regrets it."

"I think it's okay," Sam said flatly. "Why wouldn't it be? I mean, she's _is_ our friend. We can trust her with our daughter."

"But…" Finn trailed off.

Quinn never did things without some sort of motivation behind it. Finn couldn't help but wonder what Quinn had up her sleeve – he was kind of scared of her, if he was being totally honest, and part of him wondered if she was going to try to steal Sam back. It wouldn't be completely strange for her to do, all things considered. Finn didn't argue with Sam anymore, though, and instead they went into the classroom and started looking around at schools.

Most of the desks were covered in applications and flyers for different schools throughout Ohio. Representatives stood at each one, fake smiles on their faces and numbers ticking through their heads. Sam hated things like this, where everyone just wanted to get you. They were letting people apply without application fees if they filled them out in the classroom. Finn jumped on this chance and applied to the one that was boasting hefty music scholarships.

Sam hated that most of the reps would ask what you wanted to go into – he didn't know and he felt like an idiot saying so. Most of them would just insist that it was okay, but this was Sam's education – he didn't want to waste the little money he did have taking classes that wouldn't count towards his degree. Finn convinced him to apply to Ohio University since they had the music program Finn was interested in, and he kept pushing Sam to consider music. "You wrote me an awesome song, dude," Finn argued when Sam hesitated. "You're talented and you should go for it."

Sam sighed and filled out the application; he knew it was a bad idea, but he could reject them if they accepted him, after all. Finn looked around at the other schools, but Sam had held up his end of the bargain and he wanted to get out of there. Four applications later on Finn's part and they were finally walking out to Finn's truck. "I wonder how long it will take to hear back from them?" Finn asked excitedly as he climbed into the driver's seat.

"No idea," Sam shook his head.

He stared out the window as they drove away. Half-way home, Finn reached over and held Sam's hand gently. "I'm really glad you applied to college, too," Finn insisted.

Sam flashed Finn a small smile and nodded. "I don't know how we'd make it work, though," Sam admitted sadly. "I mean, the closest school at that fair was an hour and a half away."

"Yeah, but I mean, we can work it out," Finn shrugged. "We can like, get an apartment or something. It'll be no big deal."

Sam nodded and squeezed Finn's hand lightly, hoping to end the conversation. His thoughts were seriously getting depressing as he imagined a thousand different ways that things could go – and none of them ended well for Sam and Annika. Sam was determined to give Annika the best life possible, but it all seemed so daunting now that he thought about it.

When they got home, Sam practically ran inside. Quinn sat on the floor by Annika, who was spread out on a blanket in the middle of the living room, playing with her toys. Her muscles still freaked out a little so sometimes she moved without realizing it, but she was smiling and giggling up at Quinn. Taking care of a baby suited Quinn, and Sam was starting to wonder if Finn had been right – what was she up to?

"Hey guys," she shouted to them, still smiling down at Annika.

"Hey, Quinn," Finn responded, but he sounded anything but friendly.

Sam walked into the living room and sat down next to Quinn and Annika. "How was she?" Sam asked.

"She was a perfect little angel," Quinn smiled, looking up at Sam.

Their eyes met and for a minute, something flashed through Quinn's expression. It freaked Sam out and he coughed, "Well um…thanks."

"No problem," she replied sweetly.

She stood slowly and wandered over to the doorway where Finn was still standing, half perplexed and have completely shocked. "I'll see you guys later, okay?" she said, pulling on her jacket.

Both boys just nodded, completely confused by her new over-friendly personality. Quinn let herself out of the house without another word. "That was weird," Finn commented, only now shucking his jacket and walking into the living room.

He joined Sam on the floor by Annika. Sam reached down and held out his finger. Annika's tiny hand wrapped around it and he smiled down at her. She cooed and stared up at him with her sparkling blue eyes. "We'll figure things out, Sam," Finn insisted. "You're going to get to go to college too, and we'll make a good life for Annika. We can do this."

Sam looked over at Finn, a sad expression on his face. He knew what Finn was saying wasn't really true, but it was the thought that counted. Sam offered a weak smile and closed his eyes as Finn leaned down to plant a gentle kiss on his forehead.

If only things were really as easy as Finn made them sound.


	4. Chapter 4

In the days to come, Finn didn't push Sam as hard to be a couple in public, which made Sam feel a little better about the whole college mess. He'd even sit next to Finn in the choir room from time to time. It was only a couple of weeks after they'd applied to schools at the college fair and already members of the glee club were getting acceptance letters. Quinn was going to Arizona State, Kurt had been accepted to Juilliard ages ago, and Rachel had most recently been accepted to the same school. It was like everyone's lives were moving on except for Sam's.

He sighed and tried not to let it bother him. Finn's hand reached over and patted Sam's leg gently before scooting away before anyone could see. It was the most physical contact Finn would ever try for in public and Sam liked it. The last thing he needed was for the jocks to push him around. He was already frustrated with everything else in his life.

The thought of having nowhere to live after he graduated and Kurt and Finn left for college absolutely terrified Sam. He had no idea where he'd go or what he'd do; he certainly couldn't live in his boyfriend's house without his boyfriend there – if they were even still dating by then.

Sam wanted Annika to have the perfect life, but sometimes he wondered if that would be easier if he and Finn _weren't_ together. Rachel certainly didn't have it easy at times when people found out she had two dads; Sam didn't want the same fate for Annika. College would naturally tear Sam and Finn apart, and Sam was already accepting this fact. He didn't really deserve Finn anyway. Sam was a freak that could get pregnant and had a kid in high school – that definitely wasn't the type of person someone as popular and good looking as Finn Hudson should stick with.

Finn kept sending glances Sam's way throughout rehearsal – Sam was being strangely quiet, even by his standards. Quinn had told Finn to just talk to him and ask to hang out, but whenever Sam got quiet, it made Finn feel awkward. He always felt like he was saying the wrong thing and sometimes he wondered if Sam was going to burst into tears.

It didn't help that when they got home, they found two letters in the mailbox, both from Ohio University – one addressed to Sam and one addressed to Finn. They were different envelopes, which probably meant they contained different things. Finn handed Sam his letter and they opened them as they walked inside.

Sam read his letter over with a frown. He hadn't been accepted. His ACT score was too low, as was his GPA. They encouraged him to apply again in early August for a chance at a last-minute spot, but he knew he wouldn't. Applying to college had been a waste of time, and he quickly crumpled up the letter and tossed it in the trash can. Finn fumbled with his own envelope and finally pulled out the packet of materials they'd sent. "I got in!" Finn beamed excitedly, eyes darting across the paper.

"That's great, Finn!" Kurt said happily as he wandered into the room, Blaine on his heels.

"They even gave me this paperwork to try for a music scholarship," Finn told them, flipping through the papers.

Sam sighed and said, "Good for you, Finn."

Finn looked over at Sam, a huge smile on his face, before flipping through the papers he'd gotten in the mail. "Mom's going to be so proud," Finn mumbled, sitting down at the table and grabbing a pen.

He started filling out the scholarship forms without even worrying about his afternoon snack he was always so fond of. Sam sighed and went to his room. He looked around at what his life had become – when he wasn't struggling to finish his homework or memorize lyrics for glee club, Sam was taking care of Annika. He loved her and he'd never complain about taking care of her, but he couldn't help but wonder what his life would be like without her.

Sam sat around his room all afternoon and didn't even notice when Carole got home with Annika. Finn wandered into Sam's room, a giggling Annika in his arms. "So what did your letter say?" Finn asked as he sat down on Sam's bed.

"Yeah, I guess you kind of forgot about me back then, didn't you," Sam shot.

His voice was bitter and it was off-putting for Finn. "I'm sorry I got excited about getting accepted to _college_," Finn scowled.

"Well I didn't," Sam said roughly.

He glared at Finn, who wasn't quite sure what to say. He didn't look angry anymore; instead he was frowning and kind of looked confused. Annika was starting to fuss from the shouting and Finn desperately tried to quiet her as Sam paced the room. "Look, I'm sorry, dude, but you could at least be happy for me," Finn said angrily. "I'm your _boyfriend_."

"I _know_ I'm your boyfriend!" Sam replied. "You remind me of it every day. It's awesome and I really like you, but you can't use that as an excuse for everything. Yeah, good for you, you're accepted to college. But _I'm not_, which means I'm going to be stuck here."

"You can still apply more places," Finn argued lamely.

Sam stood and started digging through drawers, stuffing pajamas and a new outfit into his backpack. "I could, yeah," Sam admitted. "But I'm still not smart enough to get in anywhere." He sighed and turned to face Finn and handed him a pacifier for Annika so she wouldn't cry. "The fact is, I'm an idiot that isn't going anywhere and you're not. I'm just holding you back."

"No, you're not, Sam," Finn pleaded. "Please, just…I'll help you study or something. You can re-take the test and get in somewhere."

Sam just shook his head. His shaking hands fumbled with his phone as he sent a rushed text message. "It doesn't work that way, Finn," he insisted. "I'm going to be stuck here like a total Lima Loser and you're going to go on and be a music teacher just like you want."

"Don't talk like that," Finn shot. "You and I are going to be fine."

Sam slung his backpack over his shoulder and left the room. Finn watched, confused, as Sam just walked away. "Sam, honey, where are you going?" Carole asked as Sam stalked into the living room and started tugging on his jacket.

He tried not to look too upset as he said, "I'm uh…I'm going to Quinn's tonight."

Carole looked like she wanted to protest, but she kept her mouth shut. Kurt and Blaine watched from the living room as Sam slid his feet into his shoes and walked out the door. Quinn wasn't even there yet – something was up. Finn stood in the hallway, a fussy Annika in his arms, as Sam just walked down the drive.

Sam barely wandered a block before he spotted Quinn's red car driving towards him. "Thanks, Quinn," he said softly, getting into the passenger seat.

"No problem," she nodded, driving away.

They didn't talk the entire ride to Quinn's house, and Sam was thankful for it. She did, however, press him for answers when she started reheating Chinese food for dinner. "It's just…Finn," Sam sighed. "He got accepted to Ohio University. I got rejected."

"On the same day?" she asked.

Sam just nodded and stared down at the glass of lemonade she'd offered him. He took a sip and said, "He just started bragging about how he got in and didn't even ask about me until like, hours later. I don't get it."

"Well you know, Finn isn't always that perceptive when it comes to feelings," Quinn pointed out.

With a sigh, Sam took another drink of lemonade and looked around the kitchen. He didn't really want to talk about anything. It was just nice to get away from everyone – being around Finn all the time was nice, but it drove him insane at the same time. Finn was cute, but sometimes he was so childish Sam felt like he was taking care of two kids, not one. It was sweet though, and it was probably why Finn was such an awesome dad, but sometimes he needed to grow up, just like Sam had.

"It'll be okay, you know," Quinn told him as she slid a plate of food towards him.

She took her own and they sat at the center island of the kitchen. "How?" Sam asked. "Finn got accepted – if he gets that full ride scholarship he's out of here. Then what am I supposed to do?"

"I'm sure Burt and Carole would help you get on your feet," Quinn shrugged.

Sam's fork clattered to his plate and he said firmly, "No."

Quinn almost looked offended when she turned to face him. "Sam, you _need_ to stop pushing people away!" she shouted. "Take it from someone who has been where you have – when you go through something like this, you need all the help you can get. It makes you feel like crap but it's the _only thing_ that's going to help you and Annika get out of this town."

Sam just glared at Quinn. He knew she would understand better than anyone else, but it still felt horrible. "I hate this," he shot angrily.

Her expression softened. "I know you are," she insisted. "I don't know how you've made it this long, honestly. I wanted to strangle Puck when I was five months into the _pregnancy_, never mind once Beth was actually born."

"Yeah, but you don't need to worry about her _now_," Sam said, lazily sweeping his food around his plate with his fork.

"And I regret it every day," Quinn said flatly. "You're going to get through this and you're going to be happy about it. I know what you're going through, Sam."

"I'm a parent, that's all I'm 'going through'," he rolled his eyes.

Quinn just shook her head and turned to her own dinner. She knew that Sam was dealing with more – it was exactly what Quinn had dealt with after having Beth. She felt like it was her job to help Sam feel better about himself. He couldn't throw his life away because of one little mistake. Quinn finished her dinner and watched as Sam picked at his, barely eating half of it. "Come on, let's go watch a movie," Quinn offered, taking Sam's hand and leading him into the living room.

Reluctantly he followed her into the living room and let her choose a movie. She snuggled up to his side and the started watching some romantic chick flick. All the while, Sam couldn't take his mind off of Finn and Annika and what they were doing at that moment…

Finn stared grumpily down at his plate all through dinner. Blaine had left, leaving the Hummel-Hudson family to a four-person dinner; something they hadn't had in a while. "So…" Kurt said, trying to break the awkward silence. "Finn, care to tell us why Sam stormed off like that?"

Finn just looked up at Kurt with a glare. "It's none of your business," he shot in response.

"Boys," Carole warned.

Kurt sent Finn a look that told him they were going to be talking later. Burt looked between the two of them and knew exactly what kind of a talking-to Kurt wanted to give Finn. When dinner ended, he tried to prevent it by saying, "Hey, Finn, how about you and I go give Annika a bath while Kurt and Carole clean up diner?"

Kurt appeared grumpy that his father had stolen his chance to reprimand Finn. Relieved, Finn nodded and went into the living room to pick up Annika. They went into the large master bathroom and Burt set up Annika's mini-bath. Finn made slow work of getting Annika in the bath; he always felt like he was going to break her, even if she was almost three months old now. "So…things not going well with you and Sam?" Burt asked as Finn slowly ran a soft cloth along Annika's body.

Finn scowled and didn't look at him. "He's just mad at me because I got accepted and he didn't."

"That's not all, Finn, and I think you know it," Burt said.

With a sigh, Finn said, "Well, yeah, I mean I guess he's mad about that, but he just keeps getting pissed about how far away it is."

"He's got a point," Burt pointed out.

Finn didn't say anything. So what if Sam had a point? Finn could go to school wherever he wanted, couldn't he? All he wanted to do was get a degree so he could make a good living to support Sam and Annika. What was so wrong with that? "Look, Finn, I know you have good intentions. You're just looking out for your family, and nobody can blame you for that," Burt said, kneeling down at the bathtub next to Finn. "The thing is, you're doing this for your family, but you have to think about what they'll be doing _while you're in college_. It's a lot of responsibility, and right now I think you're just thinking about yourself."

"I'm not self-centered," Finn shot.

"I know you're not," Burt insisted. "You're a really kind-hearted guy who's just looking out for his family. I just don't want you to forget that they're going to be around the whole time, not just when you've got your degree and your job when it's all over."

Finn frowned and finished cleaning up Annika. "Now, when Sam gets back, I think you two should have a good talk about this. Think about how you're going to take Sam and Annika with you. It may not be as easy as you think, Finn," Burt said.

Finn held Annika tight to his chest, her little body wrapped up in a towel. "Just know that your mom and I are willing to help the three of you with this if you want us to," Burt told him. "I know Sam is stubborn, but maybe if you talk to him about it, he'll come around. We won't kick him out."

With a nod, Finn stood and took Annika down the hall to Sam's room where he put a clean diaper and sleeper on her before getting her bottle ready. It felt strange, getting Annika ready for bed without Sam, and he hoped it wouldn't happen again. Finn stifled a yawn and changed into his pajamas while Carole warmed up a bottle for Annika.

It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, and as soon as she did, Finn set her in her crib. He yawned and looked around the room sadly. Against his better judgment, Finn wandered over to Sam's bed and climbed underneath the blankets. The pillow smelled like Sam and Finn found himself wondering just what Sam was up to and how he could possibly fix things between the two of them…

When Quinn and Sam's movie finally ended, Quinn looked ready for bed. Sam hadn't been sleeping that well lately, though, so he was still wide awake. "I miss spending time with you," Quinn said softly, looking up at Sam with innocent eyes.

Before he could even really register what was happening, she was leaning in and kissing him. Sam's breath caught and his eyes flew open in shock. He pressed at her shoulder and she backed up, confused. "What's wrong? We used to do this all the time?" she asked.

"No," Sam shook his head. His brain was catching up with the situation and he felt a wave of guilt. "I…I'm with _Finn_, Quinn. You know that."

"Look, do you really think you guys are going to last?" Quinn questioned him, raising an eyebrow. "Having a baby with someone doesn't mean you have to spend the rest of your life with them."

"No, Quinn…I…" Sam stood from the couch, looking around for his things.

"I miss you, Sam," Quinn pleaded.

Sam looked over at Quinn incredulously. Nobody missed him. Nobody ever even seemed to _notice_ him. She stepped closer to him and reached out to touch his face gently. Her eyes bore into his own and before he knew it, Quinn was connecting her lips with Sam's again.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam couldn't believe that Quinn was kissing him. _He had a boyfriend_. Wait…he had a boyfriend. He was cheating on Finn – the other father of his baby. Sam pushed her away a little too roughly, shock evident on his face. Quinn was scowling at him, "What's your problem!"

She rubbed her shoulder where he'd pushed her a little too roughly. "I have a boyfriend, Quinn," he told her roughly. "You can't just go around kissing people, even if they're taken! I know others have let you but _I'm not like that_."

"Are you calling me a cheater?" she asked quickly.

Sam's eyes fixed on her, annoyance emanating from his body. "I can't be here," he shook his head. "It was a mistake to come here."

"You're mad at Finn, though," Quinn pointed out, her voice soft. "You're going to have to stay here. I can help you, Sam. I see you suffering and _I know how to help_."

Shaking his head, Sam said, "No, you can't. I just need to go home."

"You're going to walk home in this?" Quinn asked, her eyes darting to the window where Sam could see snow starting to fall.

Sighing, he nodded and said, "Yeah, if I have to."

She looked absolutely furious, but he wasn't going to change his mind. Sam pulled on his jacket and stormed out the door before Quinn even had a chance to stop him. She frowned. Her methods had been flawed, she realized in retrospect, but Sam needed help. Nobody had stepped up to help her, and she'd been miserable because of it. There was no way in hell she'd let him go through the same thing. Sighing, she decided to put a new plan into action in the morning.

Sam trudged down the sidewalk, stomping through the snow piles, cursing himself for ever thinking that going to Quinn's was a good idea. Sure, he missed Annika like hell already, and he felt bad that he hadn't really been there for her all day, but Finn was being kind of a douche. Sam barely got two blocks away when he realized he had his cell phone. Quickly, he pulled it out and dialed Kurt's number. It went straight to voicemail, so he tried Finn's. Finn didn't even answer.

Just when he was about to give up, Sam scrolled past another name in his phone. Quickly he pressed 'send' and listened as it rang once, twice, three times before someone answered. "Hello?" the voice asked, gruff and a little confused.

"Puck? Do you think you could do me a favor?" Sam asked hopefully.

Puck grumbled but he listened as Sam told him where he was. Several minutes later, Puck drove up in his beat up old Volvo, the only vehicle his mom would let him behind the wheel of. Sam thanked him as he took the passenger seat of the car. Puck looked exhausted and asked, "Where are we going? You want to go back to your boyfriend's or do you want to crash at my place?"

"I uh…home," Sam said.

He felt awkward calling the Hummel-Hudson residence home when he had treated them so badly. Well, treated Finn badly. He hoped that Finn hadn't ignored his call because he was angry or something. Sure, Sam had been mean to him, but Finn wasn't really looking out for anyone except himself and he had a family now. He at least needs to watch out for Annika, even if he doesn't care about Sam.

When Puck parked the car, Sam sighed and said, "Thanks."

"Where were you, anyway?" Puck asked.

"Um…Quinn's."

"What the hell were you doing there?"

Sam felt uncomfortable in that moment. He knew the history between Puck and Quinn, and he hated how awkward things would get sometimes when the guys talked about Quinn. Puck loved her and she treated him like shit, worse than she'd done to anyone else. "I don't know. She'd been nice to me lately and me and Finn got in a fight and I just needed to get away," Sam explained quickly. He sighed and added, "It was a huge mistake, though, so whatever."

"What happened?" Puck asked.

His voice wasn't filled with anger anymore. It was like he could tell Sam was upset or something. "It was fine and stuff, until she kissed me," Sam frowned. "She _knows_ I'm dating Finn. I know she hates it, but like…we're happy."

"Except right now," Puck pointed out.

"Except right now," Sam nodded in agreement.

It sucked saying those words, because it meant that he could be alone again very, very soon, and this time with a baby to take care of. "What happened between you two?" Puck asked.

Sighing, Sam told Puck the story. Puck just sat and listened, even though the heat in his car wasn't working very well and they were both shivering. Sam was dealing with shit and Puck had certainly dealt with enough; he could listen to someone else's problems for a while. Actually, Puck was pretty good at helping people through something once he dropped his douchebag sex shark façade. "Well, you have to at least talk to him," Puck pointed out after hearing everything. "Yeah, he's being a total dick right now, but it's Finn. He doesn't realize it. And I really don't think he wants to hurt you."

"How do you know, though," Sam frowned.

"You think the rest of us don't see the way he looks at you?" Puck asked incredulously. "He's like, all eyes for you. It would be sickening if it weren't Finn. He really loves you, and Annika, and I know he doesn't want to hurt you. He's just excited about college."

"It's really hard to be excited for him when I'm the failure that's stuck here," Sam grumbled.

"You think you're the only one dealing with _that_?" Puck asked.

Sam just stared at Puck, confused. "Dude, Lauren is getting offers for full ride scholarships just because these places want her on their wrestling teams. She has to choose between six schools – and not a single damn one of them is in Ohio."

"But that's different," Sam pointed out. "Finn and I have…"

"Yeah, I know, you have Annika," Puck rolled his eyes. "But I love Lauren just like you and Finn love each other. I don't want to see her go."

Sam didn't say a word. "Just…if you need to talk or something, I'm here," Puck said quietly. "Just give Finn a break. He's just a big kid and he doesn't realize what he does sometimes."

Sam laughed a little at that, because he knew it was true. It was obvious every time he saw Finn taking care of Annika. The faces he'd make just to get her to laugh were priceless, and they always made Sam's heart beat a little faster. "Thanks again," Sam said before climbing out of the car.

Puck just grunted his reply and drove back home. It was getting late, after all. Sam walked into the Hummel-Hudson home quietly, not wanting to wake anyone. He wandered back to his and Annika's room and was surprised to see someone already sleeping in his bed. Confused, Sam walked over and shook their shoulder gently. "Finn?" he whispered.

Groggily, Finn rolled onto his back and wiped at his eyes. He squinted up at Sam through the darkness. "You're back?" he asked.

Sam frowned and nodded. "C'mon," he nodded towards the door and left the room.

Finn followed slowly, still trying to wake up. They went into the living room where Sam curled up on one end of the couch. Finn kind of just wanted to snuggle up to Sam because he was cold, but he couldn't tell what the look on Sam's face meant. "What's going on?" Finn asked.

"I'm sorry, Finn," Sam frowned.

"Oh, it's okay," Finn shrugged. "I mean, I guess I wasn't really thinking when I got the letter. Like, I'm excited I got accepted, but you didn't and I was kind of a jerk about that."

"No, Finn, that's not all," Sam shook his head.

He bit his lip and tried to think about the best way to say what he needed to say. Just the thought of it kind of made Sam sick, and he was going to stumble over his words, he just knew it. "I…when I left, I went to Quinn's," Sam began nervously.

"I know," Finn nodded. "You guys are friends. No big deal."

"No, just…hear me out," Sam interrupted him. "I went to Quinn's, and like, it was cool. We just ate dinner and watched a movie. It calmed me down."

"Good."

Sam's eyes met Finn's and he looked on the verge of tears as he said, "She kissed me, Finn."

Finn's content expression completely disappeared. He stared at Sam, jaw dropped, as his brain processed the information. "So what?" Finn asked slowly after a moment. "You're just…here to break up with me? Is that what this is?"

"No!" Sam said quickly. "No, no, it's not that at all. Finn, I don't want to break up with you."

"Really?" Finn asked. "Because kissing someone else kind of means you're not happy with who you're already dating."

"I _am_ happy with you," Sam insisted. "_She_ kissed _me_, Finn. I stopped her, but I…I couldn't stop her before it happened. Just…after. I feel really bad, dude."

Finn frowned and he still kind of looked shocked. "What exactly am I supposed to be getting from this, Sam?" Finn asked.

Sam paused. He wasn't quite sure. "I just…you should know that it happened. She kissed me and I stopped it and I yelled at her and then I left. That's it," he shrugged. "I don't want her. I want you."

Finn didn't look like he believed Sam. He just sat in the corner of the couch, pillow hugged to his chest, as he stared over at Sam. Slowly, almost nervously, Sam scooted down the couch and settled himself in Finn's lap. Finn awkwardly tossed the pillow to the side and wrapped his arms around Sam's waist. They looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity until they closed the distance between them.

Sam wasn't sure who started it, but it was like a dam was breaking. Their lips met roughly, gliding against each other like their lives depended on it. Finn's hands slid up and down Sam's back, pulling him closer, bringing their bodies flush together. They settled on the couch, Finn underneath Sam, their kisses decidedly more steamy and passionate than they used to be. Sam broke the kiss for air and stared down at Finn. His lips were swollen and a little bruised and Finn had never seen Sam looking more attractive than he did in that moment. "I swear, Finn, I only want you," Sam insisted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Finn couldn't even stop himself; his face broke out into a huge grin and he tugged Sam down for another kiss. His tongue ran against Sam's lips and Sam responded. Finn liked when he could feel Sam smiling as they kissed; it meant he made Sam smile, which was awesome in itself, and it was even better that it happened the way it did. Sam was kind of awkward about anything sexual, even before he'd had Annika, and now that he was loosening up, things were a little better for them.

The kiss continued, Finn exploring every crevice of Sam's mouth, memorizing it and savoring his flavor. Sam moaned into the kiss, completely forgetting where they were and that anyone could walk in on them. Finn bit down just barely on Sam's lower lip and Sam gasped. The feeling sent a chill through his body and he felt himself growing hard because of it.

It was amazing that an action so small could make Sam feel the way it did. Finn's hands wandered his sides and Sam felt himself letting go of all coherent thought until all he was doing was _feeling_. He ground his hips down against Finn's as they continued kissing. Sam's hands held Finn's face gently, keeping them close, as they both moved their hips.

Eventually all focus went to grinding against the other and the broke the kiss. Sam's forehead rested barely against Finn's as they breathed in the heavy, sticky air between them. Eyes squinted shut in pleasure and concentration, Finn guided Sam's hips, bringing their dicks together. Even through the fabric of what they were wearing it felt good – amazing, even – and both knew it wouldn't last much longer.

Sam let out a soft whimper that he would have been embarrassed about under any other circumstances. "Fi…Finn…" he muttered.

He rested his head in the crook of Finn's neck and just felt as they ground together. "Guh…Sam, I…" Finn whispered.

Sam felt Finn's mouth opening that certain way it does when he's about to come, and he bit at Finn's neck just barely. Finn's body convulsed beneath Sam and he let out a low moan in Sam's ear. Something about hearing Finn completely come undone just did things to Sam and he felt himself reaching his peak. He clung to Finn desperately as his orgasm tore through him, leaving him breathless and pressed up against Finn. He'd never felt so comfortable in his life.

Both just lay there for a few moments as they waited for their breathing to return to normal. "I uh…" Sam mumbled, climbing off of Finn. "We should change."

Finn swallowed and nodded, his eyes full of amazement as he stared at Sam. They went to their own rooms to clean up and crawl back into bed. Things seemed to be returning to normal for them – as normal as they could be, anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

At the beginning of February, Carole took Sam and Annika to the clinic she worked at. One of her good friends, Dr. Cary, was a pediatrician and was looking at Annika for them. It was time for her four month check-up. Sam was amazed at how quickly she was growing. He could feel that she was heavier when she was born, and he felt at ease when the doctor would tell him that she was developing well. Finn usually went with, too, but he had a tour of Ohio University that day that Burt was taking him to.

Instead of leaving after the appointment like Sam thought they were going to do, Carole convinced him to talk to Annika's pediatrician for a few minutes. She asked questions about how he was feeling and what sorts of things he'd been eating; she kept watching him closely and it made Sam feel kind of awkward. "Uh…I don't really get what's going on," Sam said, looking around the room, confused. "You're Annika's doctor, not mine."

"Sam, I know it doesn't seem like it, but you're dealing with post-partum depression," Dr. Cary said. She gave him a hopeful smile and said, "I'd like to put you on some anti-depressants."

"I'm fine," Sam shook his head. "I don't need medicine. I can't _afford_ medicine."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Sam," Carole insisted. "I want you to be well and happy."

"No," Sam repeated. "I'm not depressed."

Dr. Cary sighed and said, "You're exhibiting almost every side effect. Carole and Burt have noticed, and as Carole has told me, so have some of your friends."

Sam frowned and looked down at his hands. He felt fine…was he really acting that differently? "Sam, it's a common thing among people that give birth," Dr. Cary insisted. "It's keeping you from having a strong relationship with Annika, though, and it's keeping you from living your life completely. This is holding you back, Sam, and medicine will help."

"At least think about it, Sam," Carole pleaded. "For Annika's sake."

That was what got him. For Annika. Whatever this depression thing was, it was keeping him from having _something_ with Annika, whatever it was – it was something he didn't already have, though, and it sounded like he needed it. Slowly, Sam nodded his agreement. "Yeah…yeah, okay whatever," Sam said. "I guess I can."

Carole looked relieved and Dr. Cary pulled out a piece of paper. She scribbled out a prescription for him and said, "I'll see you and Annika next month. If you're doing better, we can talk about lowering your dosage."

Sam nodded and accepted the slip of paper. They stopped at the pharmacy to get his prescription filled before heading back to the house. "I'm proud of you for taking that, Sam," Carole told him as they pulled into the drive. "It's very responsible of you."

"Who told you to do this?" Sam asked softly when they parked.

Carole looked over at Sam sadly for a moment before admitting, "Quinn called me. She went through the same thing after she had Beth but had no idea it was a problem until almost a year later. She was just looking out for you."

Sam nodded, "Yeah, she's been trying to do that a lot lately."

"You're going to get better, Sam," Carole insisted, proud eyes fixed on him. "You're a wonderful father to Annika, and things will only get better for you from here."

Sam sat for a moment, letting her words brew in his head. Sam grabbed Annika from the back seat and carried her inside. He took the first pill that night, and even though he felt awkward about it, it had to be good for something, right? He sighed as he swallowed down the pill. Wandering into his room, he stared down at Annika. She looked so adorable and innocent and beautiful. He climbed into bed, content.

Monday at school, Santana and Brittany walked up to Finn, determined looks on their faces. "Hey there, Finnocence," Santana smirked.

"Hi Finn," Brittany added sweetly.

"Uh…I'm seeing someone, so no," Finn replied automatically.

Santana rolled her eyes and said, "Shut it, Frankenteen. We have a present for you."

"Yeah, it's really awesome," Brittany smiled. She pulled her hands out from behind her back and held a gift bag out to Finn. "I wrapped it myself," Brittany told him proudly.

Awkwardly, Finn reached out and took the bag. "Nothing is going to fly out at my face, is it?" he asked hesitantly, staring down into the bag.

"Nope," Brittany replied earnestly. "Open it!"

She was bouncing from her heels to her toes and beaming. Santana looked like she was trying to be annoyed, but she sucked at hiding it, even from Finn. Slowly he reached into the bag and looked at what was inside. His face flushed bright red and he dropped the objects back in the bag. "What are you doing giving these things to me! In school!" Finn hissed, appalled.

Santana glared at Finn and said, "Grow up. It's for you and Sam."

"Well I get what it's _for_," Finn said, staring nervously down into the bag that held condoms and lube. "But I don't think we're going to do that. I mean, he's pretty nervous about it since Annika."

"Use more lube this time, genius," Santana rolled her eyes. "And I have one more thing for you, but you get it on Friday."

"Why Friday?" Finn asked.

"Because you and Sam are going on a date on Friday," Brittany said, barely containing her excitement. "We're going to babysit Annika for you so you can take Sam out for Valentine's Day."

"Won't people stare at us weird? I mean, we're two dudes," Finn whispered, his eyes shifting around the hallway.

Santana rolled her eyes. "That's why you're going to be a dork," she said. "We've got this all figured out. Just meet us here Friday after school and we'll explain everything."

Confused, Finn asked, "Why are you doing this?"

"We care about Sam, okay? And you two need to have at least _one_ real date if you're dating," Santana shot.

"Santana is really good at planning dates," Brittany beamed. "Especially the ending of them."

Santana wrapped her arm through Brittany's and said, "Okay, Britt. He doesn't need to know details." Brittany nodded and Santana turned back to Finn. "Meet us here on Friday after school. _Don't forget_."

Finn nodded and come Friday, he did what he was told. Almost like clockwork, Finn watched as Kurt left with Blaine around five o'clock that evening, and barely half an hour later, Burt and Carole were out the door. "Have a good night, honey," Carole winked at him.

They had plans to stay at a bed and breakfast, and Finn tried not to think about what that _really_ meant. He nodded and tried not to blush as Burt added, "Be smart tonight."

Finn looked shocked and turned back to the television as they left. Sam was in his room reading a comic book to Annika (he'd been doing that for a few days now – since he started taking his medicine). Finn watched the clock as it ticked nearer and nearer to six o'clock.

Finally the doorbell rang and Finn practically sprinted to get the door. Sam wandered out into the hallway, Annika cradled in his arm, as he watched Finn let Santana and Brittany into the house. "Finn…what are they doing here?" he asked cautiously, watching them like a hawk.

Santana walked over to him and tried not to sound mean as she spoke. There was no way Sam would actually trust them to watch Annika if she sounded like a demonic bitch. "We're here to watch Annika for you guys," Santana said, smiling sweetly down at Annika.

"But…why?" Sam looked to Finn, confused.

"I want to take you out tonight," Finn insisted. "I mean…it's Valentine's Day, and you're my boyfriend, and…I want to."

Sam looked skeptical as he let Santana scoop Annika out of his arms. "Do you guys even know how to take care of a baby?" Sam asked nervously as Santana wandered into the living room.

She sat on the couch and Brittany beamed down at Annika, pulling silly faces almost instantly. Annika giggled and Santana replied, "It sure sounds like it to me."

"Come with me?" Finn asked hopefully.

Sam looked between Finn, who was giving him puppy dog eyes, and Santana and Brittany, who were busy turning Annika to a little ball of giggles, and he knew he couldn't resist. "Yeah, sure," he nodded, a smile creeping upon his face. "Let's go."

Sam pulled on his jacket and followed Finn out the door, sending one more worried glance back at Santana and Brittany before turning to see where Finn was taking them. "Get in," Finn said.

They climbed into the Navigator, which was practically Finn's now that Blaine took Kurt everywhere in his own fancy car. Sam took in the streets around them as Finn drove. He had no idea where they were going, but the element of surprise was kind of exciting. They ended up driving all the way out of town into what looked like the ghetto. It kind of freaked Sam out, but then they got to this private drive and things looked a little nicer. "Where are we?" Sam asked nervously. "That sign said 'do not enter'."

Finn shrugged and said, "I have keys."

They pulled up into a giant looped drive in front of a rather large house. Sam stared up at it in awe and asked, "What is going on?"

"Come on," Finn smiled, leading Sam away from the Navigator.

They walked on a cleared pathway around the house, back into the yard where a smaller (yet still rather large by Sam's standards) house sat next to a pool. "Are we breaking and entering?" Sam asked, his voice quivering just barely.

"Nah," Finn laughed, leading him into the bright, warm pool house. "This is Santana's place. She's letting us use the pool house so we don't have to get some crappy motel room just so we can spend the night together."

Sam looked a little nervous at what that might mean, but he flashed Finn a smile. "Sit down," Finn said to Sam, motioning to the living room.

A small fire crackled and filled the room with warmth and a woodsy smell that Sam found very soothing. Finn wandered around the kitchenette, shuffling various items that Santana had left out for him to use. Along with the burning firewood, Sam smelled something else – it smelled delicious, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Finn wandered out with a pan and Sam smiled when he saw that it was pizza. He _loved_ pizza. Sam beamed as Finn set the pan between them. "Eat up," Finn smiled.

The crust looked a little burnt, but Sam thought it was kind of cute. They sat on a blanket on the floor in front of the fireplace, leaning against the sofa. The pizza sat between them and Sam happily dug in. It was a large pepperoni pizza, but the two of them were going to down it pretty quickly. They talked about glee club and about how regionals were coming up and the conversation naturally drifted to Annika. "She's just growing up so fast," Sam said with amazement.

Finn nodded in agreement. He ate the crust of his last piece of pizza and watched as Sam slowly finished his own dinner. "Are you thirsty?" Finn asked.

Sam nodded and Finn went into the kitchenette to fetch them two cans of Pepsi. When he returned, Sam had pushed the pizza pan away and Finn took this as an invitation to sit closer to Sam. They sipped at their soda in silence, staring in at the crackling flames in the fireplace. Slowly, almost nervously, Finn wrapped his arm around Sam's shoulders. "I really like you, Sam," he said softly, staring down at Sam.

In the light of the fireplace, Sam's hair shone bright blonde and his eyes seemed so far away. He stared straight ahead at the fire as Finn continued, "I…I want you to know that I'm doing everything I can to figure out a way for you and Annika to come with me to college. I swear to you, Sam, I'm not going to leave you guys behind."

Sam turned to Finn with a sad expression. "I know you're trying," he replied quietly. "Just…don't make any promises, okay?"

"Why not?" Finn asked.

Sam just sighed. He couldn't bring himself to say it. The truth was, if Finn promised to bring them with and then didn't, it might just break Sam's heart. He'd felt happier since the medicine, but this was reality – Finn might not be able to bring Sam and Annika with to college, and that was that. "Just…stay optimistic," Finn whispered in Sam's ear.

His breath tickled and sent a shiver down Sam's spine. Slowly, Sam found himself nodding. "Yeah…okay," he mumbled.

Finn was so close it was kind of unnerving, but it was amazing at the same time. Being touched by Finn did something to Sam – something that felt _so_ good but he couldn't really explain it. Finn took Sam's can of soda from him and put both his and Sam's on the table next to the couch. Sam watched Finn with wide, innocent eyes as Finn pulled a second blanket from the couch and covered the two of them with it. Strong arms wrapped around Sam's shoulders again and tugged him close.

Sam's limbs collided and crossed with Finn's and once they got comfortable, they just stared at each other for a moment. "I _really_ like you, Sam," Finn whispered before leaning in and capturing Sam's lips with his own.

Sam's fingers gripped the front of Finn's shirt and he pressed into the kiss, enjoying the feeling of Finn so close to him. He responded to the kiss gently and let Finn take charge. Their tongues touched and explored and Sam let out a low moan as Finn bit lightly at his lower lip. He was completely falling apart under Finn's touch, and this time it was all different. Things weren't awkward and rushed like last time Sam had considered going this far – this was sweet and romantic and yeah, a little cheesy, but _dear God_ how did Finn get so good at this! "You okay?" Finn asked, pulling away.

Crap. Sam must have been zoning out. He nodded quickly and said, "I'm great."

He smiled at Finn and Finn smiled back before leaning in to steal another heated kiss from Sam. Sam's eyes fluttered shut and he felt a shiver run through his body. He pulled out of the kiss slowly, his eyes slowly connecting with Finn's as he asked, "Um…did you bring any…_you know_…tonight?"

Sam's face turned bright red as he watched Finn's expression turn from lustful to nervous to excited. "Yeah, I did," he whispered. "I don't…I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with, though. I know that with Annika…"

Sam leaned in and pressed his lips to Finn's. He barely pulled away before whispering, "I want to."

Finn's breath caught in his throat and his eyes met Sam's. They shared an intense gaze for barely seconds before Finn was uncovering them and leading Sam to the back of the pool house. There was one lone bedroom and it was _huge_. The bed in the middle looked like it was twice the size of Kurt's, and the room had its own fireplace crackling at the foot of the bed. Why a pool house needed two fireplaces Sam would never know, but he didn't really care. He had more important things to think about. Namely, connecting his lips with Finn's again.

Almost desperately the two collided at the foot of the bed, still standing. Sam's hands fell on Finn's waist and he tugged their bodies close together, their lips crushing together passionately. Finn's hands wound themselves in Sam's hair and he groaned into the kiss, the intensity almost too much to handle. It wasn't surprising that both boys were already achingly hard in their pants, and they made quick work of removing their clothes.

Sam sat on the end of the bed and watched as Finn fixed him with a determined stare. Their lips connected once more and Finn slowly helped Sam slide back on the bed until his blonde hair was splayed against the pillows, shining just barely in the light from the fireplace. They ground together, their dicks finally touching, and Sam let out a low groan. It was _so _much better than when they'd fooled around on the sofa the month previous.

Finn never broke the kiss as he reached to the side and retrieved the bottle of lube. He coated his fingers and gently ran them against Sam's ass. He seemed so much more confident this time, and he slowly pressed in a finger at a time, letting Sam adjust and making sure he was loose enough to take Finn. Santana had (embarrassingly enough) given him the 411 on how to _not_ break the condom. By the time Finn was thinking that maybe Sam was ready, Sam was moaning and muttering, "Please Finn…ungh…more…"

Finn had never heard anything hotter in his life.

He nodded and kissed Sam firmly on the lips before leaning back to roll on a condom. He poured some more lube out onto his hand and stroked himself a few times. "You sure?" he mumbled against Sam's lips.

Sam just felt Finn's dick prodding at his ass and he nodded, letting out a desperate whimper as he did so. He'd never been so sure of anything in his life. Being around Finn made Sam feel so happy sometimes it was hard to believe. Finn and Annika were quickly becoming Sam's everything, and he had never trusted Finn more than in that moment.

Slowly Finn pressed inside, the burn and pain that had been there the first time replaced with a dull ache for mere seconds before Finn found that spot. Finn ground and thrust his hips and Sam tossed his head back against the pillows as he just _felt_. Finn's skin was sticky hot against his own and he kept touching Sam in all the right places. Every now and then Finn would plant kisses or bites down Sam's neck and jaw, all while keeping his hips going at a steady rhythm.

Sam's arms were wrapped around Finn's neck, holding him close. Sometimes Sam would pull Finn down for a kiss, but he was so caught up in everything it was sometimes hard to remember. Sam felt so full as Finn's hips kept moving, his dick sliding up against Sam's prostate every now and then, making Sam's vision blur with how good it felt. He whimpered into Finn's ear, biting it just barely, as he tugged him closer.

Finn stared down at Sam in amazement; he looked so attractive when he completely let go. Not that he wasn't otherwise, but there was just something about the flush of his cheeks and his swollen lips that just _did things_ to Finn. Sam's teeth caught his lower lip and he clung tightly to Finn. "Oh…agh…" his eyes scrunched shut and his back arched off the bed.

Finn wrapped an arm around Sam's waist for better leverage and thrust harder, wanting to push Sam over that edge. Finn was close himself and wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. "Finn…I…" Sam panted as Finn managed to thrust even deeper within him. "Ungh…Finn…"

Sam's mumblings were getting louder and Finn buried his face in Sam's neck. "Oh my god Sam…" he muttered.

Finn felt that familiar tugging within him and he whispered against Sam's neck, "Come on, Sam…come with me…right now…"

Sam let out a low groan as he nodded, barely acknowledging Finn's words. Sam arched even further off the bed and Finn thrust deep into Sam as they both came, their orgasms more intense than they'd ever felt before. Sam was panting, an exhausted, incredulous look on his face, as Finn slowly pulled out of him and tossed the condom in the trash. "Oh my god…" Sam whispered, closing his eyes and letting out a soft laugh.

Finn handed him a tissue and they cleaned off their bodies lazily. Finn climbed under the blankets and Sam slowly did the same. Sam let himself be pulled into Finn's chest, his face resting lazily in the crook of Finn's neck. Sam let out a content sigh and rested his palm on Finn's chest. He could feel Finn's heart still racing, even as their breathing returned to normal. "I love you, Sam," Finn mumbled, planting a kiss on Sam's forehead.

Sam's heart leapt at those words and he forgot to breathe for a moment. Breathlessly, Sam mumbled, "I love you too, Finn."


	7. Chapter 7

After Valentine's Day, it seemed that reality became harder to handle and sometimes Sam just wished they could stay in high school forever. He and Finn were getting along, and Sam felt okay with sitting next to Finn in glee club, and sometimes they'd even join Kurt and Blaine for a movie in the living room and snuggle just as much as the other two did. On top of all of that, it seemed like Annika was growing at an alarming rate. The doctor insisted that it was normal, but it still amazed them both. She could sit up to play now – Carole had bought her a pillow meant to help her sit up.

Just a week before Sam's birthday, Kurt decided to plan a half-birthday party for Annika. Kurt, Carole, and Burt loved showering Annika with gifts and Kurt even suggested they celebrate Sam's birthday at the same time. Sam had insisted they didn't need to, but Kurt wouldn't hear it.

That's why the weekend before regionals, the members of New Directions were gathered in the Hudson-Hummel house, a pile of gifts in the corner and a table full of sweets (much to Kurt's dismay) including a huge cake wishing both Annika and Sam a happy birthday. Sam didn't mind sharing his celebration with his daughter – he was happy to have a birthday party at all.

Brittany was down on the floor where Annika was sitting with her pillow. Sam tried to suppress his smile as he saw the lovestruck look crossing Santana's features as Brittany did so – he'd known even when they were dating that Santana's heart just wasn't into anyone except Brittany. Brittany wiggled toys in front of Annika and laughed and played with her as guests arrived, adding to the ever growing stack of gifts for them.

Once it looked like everyone was there (in Kurt's opinion anyway – he had invited everyone, after all) he announced to everyone that it was time to open presents. Sam and Finn sat down on the floor by Annika and began pulling gifts from the pile. It was almost déjà vu – it wasn't long ago that New Directions stood around in the exact same room, a baby shower underway. Annika received more toys than she would probably ever use, including some dolls. "Puckerman bought her a doll?" Santana snickered as she read the tag on the most recently opened gift.

"Hey," Puck shot defensively. "It was Lauren's idea. And a girl needs her dolls, right?"

Santana rolled her eyes and Puck looked a little uncomfortable, but Sam just said, "Yeah, it's good. Thanks Puck."

Puck glared over at Lauren for causing the whole situation, but she just smiled sweetly. "I got these," Finn said, sliding the last few gifts in front of him.

Annika sat squealing in the middle of them, flinging a stray piece of wrapping paper that she'd gotten her hands on. "You should open _your_ presents," Kurt said to Sam.

Sam turned around to where the pile of gifts had been and noticed that now there were some boxes sitting there with his name on them. "You guys didn't have to get me anything," he frowned, reaching out for one of them.

"Of course we did," Kurt smiled. "It's your birthday and kind of forgot it last year…"

"Which we're very sorry about, by the way," Rachel interrupted.

Most of the room chimed in to agree with that before Kurt continued, "So consider this our apology: an awesome 18th birthday."

"Yeah, you're officially an adult now," Santana spoke up.

"It doesn't feel any different though," Brittany added, looking at him innocently. "I still act like a kid even though people tell me I'm an adult. It's weird."

Sam laughed a little and said, "Yeah, I kind of agree. I don't feel any different."

Inside Sam was thinking to himself that he didn't feel any different because he'd actually been an adult for a while. Becoming a parent was a difficult thing – an _adult_ thing – and being in charge of someone's life caused a person to grow up pretty quickly. Slowly Sam tore at the wrappings on one of his gifts – inside was a graphic novel from Mike, Tina, and Artie. He smiled and thanked them – Sam hadn't had a chance to read a graphic novel or a comic book in a while. Sometimes he'd read them to Annika before bed, but usually she'd fall asleep with her bottle.

His other gifts were just as awesome – a music book of songs to play on guitar from Puck and Lauren (if Sam promised to play guitar with him again), and a surprisingly tolerable sweater from Rachel. Others settled for gift cards or a simple card. Quinn's gift was a greeting card with a very heartfelt apology inside. It was kind of difficult for Sam to read because she writes kind of small and she wrote a lot, but she felt bad about what had happened between them. Sam offered her a small smile as acceptance of her apology before Carole walked into the room with the cake, burning candles on top.

"Blow them out, Sam!" people called.

Finn clapped Sam on the back and the blonde stood, picking up Annika after doing so. They walked over to the cake and Sam laughed at Annika's behavior. Whenever there was excitement or laughter in the room, Annika would always feel like joining in, and this was no exception. She squealed and flailed her arms as everyone clapped. Her little fingers hit the side of the cake, pulling frosting off the cake with it.

Sam looked down at her and held her hand away from their clothes as she giggled and squirmed in his arms. He tried to ignore the flashing cameras throughout the whole ordeal. Sam felt kind of bad that people were taking photos of him and Annika – she was already so grown up and these were some of the first pictures ever taken of the two of them. It reminded him of how distant he'd been before he started taking his medication and it made his stomach ache with guilt. Annika swung her arm and brought him back to reality as she swiped frosting down his cheek. "Here you go," Blaine laughed, offering Sam a wet cloth he'd grabbed from the kitchen.

"Thanks," Sam smiled, taking the rag from him.

Sam cleaned off her hand as Carole cut the cake and started serving it up, Finn at her side scooping ice cream. Just as Sam was about to set Annika back down by her pillow, the doorbell rang. Since he was right there, Sam decided to open it.

On the other side of the door stood a very harassed looking Mrs. Evans, Stevie and Stacy standing on either side of her, tear streaks on their faces. "Mom?" he asked, surprised to see her and instantly worried because of her expression.

She looked around at the street before turning back to him, "Can we come in?"

There were a million things running through Sam's mind and words were hard to come by. He managed to nod and usher them in just barely before Carole spotted them and led them away from everyone else. Burt followed, two plates of cake and ice cream in hand.

They gathered in Burt and Carole's room, Stevie and Stacy clinging to their mother fearfully. "Are you guys hungry?" Burt asked gently, holding the cake out to them.

Stevie took a plate hungrily and Stacy watched him for a minute before nodding and slowly taking the other plate for herself. "What's going on?" Carole asked quickly.

"I…it's my husband," Mrs. Evans said sadly. "He's gotten worse lately. I think he's starting to figure out that I've been coming to visit Sam. He's so angry all the time. Today…today I said I was going to the supermarket – and I was going to – but he said…he…"

She was overcome with sobs before she could finish her story. Carole sat beside her at the end of the bed and patted her back. Burt tried not to look angry (the last thing he wanted to do was scare Stevie and Stacy) as he waited for Mrs. Evans to calm down enough to tell them what was going on. He spotted the beginnings of bruises on Stevie's arm, eerily similar to the look of a large, strong hand. "What did he do?" Carole asked softly.

Mrs. Evans took a deep breath and said, "He…he hit me…and…he said he'd kill me if I visited Sam again."

Burt looked venomous and left the room in one swift move. It wasn't smart of her to go to the one place that would endanger her, but it made sense at the same time. It was Sam's birthday, and Mrs. Evans and Carole had actually become friends since Sam had moved in with them. "Sam," Burt said gruffly, walking into the living room where the phone sat. "I need you to tell me the address of your parents' house."

Sam looked alarmed and handed Annika off to Finn quickly, following Burt into the living room. "Why? What's going on?" he asked, frowning.

"Just, I'll explain later, you need to tell me the address now," Burt instructed. "Now, Sam."

He dialed 911 and listened as Sam told him the address. Burt disappeared as soon as someone answered on the other line, leaving Sam standing alone, confused, in the living room. Finn wandered over, just as baffled, Annika still in his arms. "What's going on?" he asked.

Sam shook his head and said, "I have no idea."

Finn looked over at Sam sympathetically and said, "I bet everything is okay. I mean, Burt is pretty scary sometimes –he's definitely taking care of whatever is happening."

Sam nodded and hoped that Finn was right. Stevie and Stacy had looked so upset and his mom – he'd never seen her look so hurt and terrified before. Burt returned a few moments later and said, "Why don't you go get your brother and sister from our room – bring them out here to play or get some lemonade or something. I gave them cake already."

Nervously Sam walked back to Burt and Carole's room. Trying to put on his best face just for them, he walked and smiled, "Hey guys. Want to come hang out with us?"

Stacy still looked incredibly shy, but when Stevie trudged over to Sam, she followed. Sam led them into the dining room where everyone was sitting around eating cake and laughing. "Are you guys thirsty?" Sam asked. "Or we can get you another piece of cake, or some other snacks."

"I talked Kurt into getting Oreos," Blaine smirked, pointing to the tray.

Those near where Sam and his siblings stood instantly chimed in, welcoming his brother and sister in with the rest of them so kindly. Stacy climbed up on Quinn's lap and buried her face in Quinn's shoulder. "Let's get you some lemonade, yeah?" Quinn asked her, patting her back.

Kurt handed Quinn a glass and slowly she coaxed the little girl to drink some. Stevie was already "wrestling" with Puck (Puck was _obviously_ going easy on him) and the kids were starting to forget whatever it was that had them so upset. Sam's mom was still at the other end of the house, crying and terrified, though, and that bothered him.

Burt walked back into the room and pulled Kurt to the side. Kurt's face fell when his father spoke to him, and eventually he walked around the house, ushering people away. The party had to end, it appeared, and that made Sam even more anxious. His brother and sister flocked to Sam as everyone else said goodbye and wished him a happy birthday one last time.

Kurt and Blaine disappeared upstairs, the food still out on the table. Finn sat next to Sam on the sofa, Annika slowly dozing off in his arms. Stevie and Stacy clung to either side of Sam as they watched Iron Man as some sort of distraction. They had missed him, and still didn't know why he'd left. Seeing Sam again was nice, and they felt a little better just snuggled up to his side. The movie didn't distract everyone, though. Sam's eyes would dart to anyone new in the room until finally something happened. The doorbell rang and Burt answered it. When he ushered a police officer into the house, Sam panicked.

Finn looked over at Sam quickly, wishing he could comfort Sam more. He didn't know what was okay in front of Stevie and Stacy though. Sam's eyes looked glassy and he held his brother and sister a little tighter as time seemed to drag on forever.

After far too long, Carole and Sam's mom slowly made their way to the front door, Burt and the police officer in tow. Sam wanted to storm over and ask for answers, but Stevie and Stacy were finally calmed down so he contained himself. Mrs. Evans wandered over to the sofa where they were all seated. "Ready to go home?" she asked them, her eyes still red from crying, but otherwise dry from tears.

Stevie and Stacy climbed off of the couch slowly. "Will we get to see Sam again?" Stevie asked as they walked towards the door.

"Yeah, we'll come visit him soon," Mrs. Evans told him.

Sam followed them to the door and looked at her, confused. "I'll explain everything to you soon, Sammy," she reassured him, pulling him into a hug.

"Mom, I want to know what's going on," Sam insisted.

She sighed and said, "I'm taking care of things with your father, okay? We'll just leave it at that for now."

Sam felt hopeful at those words. She kissed him on the cheek and said, "Happy birthday, sweetheart. I'll call you and tell you everything soon, I promise."

He stepped back and said goodbye to his siblings as well as they left, the police officer escorting them to their car on the way out. Sam frowned and looked around the house. He didn't really want to talk to anyone – he wished he knew what all was going on and what this all meant. Kurt was downstairs cleaning up the mess from the party, Blaine happily working at his side.

Carole and Burt started helping Kurt and Blaine, leaving Sam to himself. Finn walked over, a sleeping Annika in his arms. "I'm gonna go lay her down for a nap. Meet me upstairs in my room?" Finn asked quietly.

Sam nodded and slowly made his way upstairs. His day had gone from high to low and it was frustrating – he hadn't had a mood swing like that in a while and it was a weird feeling. When Finn walked into the room, he shut the door behind him. "Won't Burt and Carole get mad?" Sam asked hesitantly as Finn climbed onto the bed next to him.

"Nah, I think they trust us," Finn shrugged.

He leaned back against the headboard, Sam sitting next to him looking bummed out. Finn reached over and wove his fingers between Sam's, squeezing his hand gently, hoping to comfort him. "Everything is going to be okay, Sam," Finn insisted. "And hey – you still have one more present to open."

Sam looked over at Finn, surprised, and asked, "What?"

Finn let go of Sam's hand and turned to his bedside table to reach inside and pull out a wrapped box. "This is for you," Finn said slowly, handing it to Sam.

Hesitantly, Sam took it and looked down at the wrappings, feeling a little bit guilty. "You didn't have to get me anything," Sam insisted.

"Would you stop saying that?" Finn asked suddenly. "I didn't have to get you anything, true, but the thing is…I _wanted_ to. Please, just take it."

Slowly Sam started tearing the shiny blue paper off the box just to find more shiny blue underneath. Finn watched as Sam's eyes lit up and his face broke into a grin. "You got me Avatar?" Sam asked, surprised.

"Of course," Finn insisted. "It's your favorite movie – it didn't make sense for you to not have it."

Sam looked over at Finn and smiled, "Thanks, Finn."

Finn nodded and said, "I'm glad you like it."

They leaned towards each other and their lips met in a chaste kiss before Sam turned his attention back to the DVD in his hands. "Sam, I've been thinking…" Finn trailed off slowly.

He reached over to take one of Sam's hands in his own, wrapping their fingers together. He felt a quiver of fear run through Sam as he said those words and Sam sadly put the DVD down and turned to Finn. A million possibilities were running through Sam's mind, each one worse than the last, but he didn't speak. "I…I want you and Annika to come with me to college," he said slowly. "We'll get an apartment – I already looked online and there are some really close to campus. We'd have to get a one-bedroom so we can pay for it, but it could work."

Sam looked up at Finn. "You really think it will?" he asked softly.

"Definitely," Finn replied, the corner of his mouth turning up into a small, lopsided smile. "We're going to make this work, Sam, and we're going to be a family. It'll be you, me, and Annika, and it'll be perfect."

Sam stared over at Finn, relief crossing his features. "I'm not leaving you two," Finn insisted. "I promise."

Smiling, Sam leaned in and kissed Finn. "Good," he nodded. "I don't think I could handle it if you did."


	8. Chapter 8

A few weeks later when Finn got another letter from school, he didn't really see any reason to panic. The envelope was addressed as being from housing and he just kind of shrugged it off as an invitation to apply for the dorms. He left the envelope on the table, disregarding it completely because of his apartment plan with Sam – until his mom found it.

Carole walked into Finn's room right before he went to bed, the open letter in her hand. "Sweetie, did you read this?" she asked, walking into the room and sitting at the edge of his bed.

"Oh, nah, I didn't think I needed to, since Sam and I are getting an apartment and stuff," he shrugged.

Without a word, Carole held the sheet of paper out to Finn. He gave her a confused look before letting his eyes drift down. He read it over three times before really understanding what it was saying. "But…" he trailed off, frowning.

"It's a requirement of the school, Finn," Carole told him. "You have to live in the dorms your first year."

"But…Sam and Annika…can't they make an exception?" Finn asked hopefully.

Carole looked at Finn; he looked caught between tears and rage, and it broke her heart. "I think you could try," she offered. "Call the housing office tomorrow. Let them know your situation and see what they say."

Finn nodded quickly. Carole kissed Finn's forehead before standing to leave the room. "Mom?" he asked. She spun around in the doorway to face him. "Don't tell Sam about this, okay? I don't want to make him worry if I don't have to."

Against her better judgment, Carole nodded, "Goodnight, Finn."

He didn't even reply; Finn's eyes were back on the sheet of paper in front of him, reading them over a thousand times like he wished they would change and take back this stupid rule.

It took Finn forever to fall asleep that night, and when he woke, he was very sluggish. They were almost late to school because of him. "What's going on with you?" Sam asked as they walked down the hall to first period.

"'m just tired," Finn mumbled.

As they were about to turn the corner and walk into the classroom, Brittany and Santana stepped in front of them. "Hello," Santana said.

Sam and Finn just stared at them strangely. Santana and Brittany usually only spoke to them if they were up to something, and there were a million possibilities running through Sam's mind. Finn's mind was probably still asleep. "We have a proposition for you," Santana began.

"And we need to ask you something," Brittany added, beaming.

Santana tried to hold back an annoyed look as she took a deep breath and said, "We'd like you two to go to prom with us."

Sam looked around the hallway to be sure nobody was listening before he said quietly, "But me and Finn are dating."

"And you thought you were just going to go to prom together?" Santana challenged. "Or what? Were you guys just going to stay home? No, it's senior prom, and we're all going."

"But Annika…" Sam tried to argue.

"You should get a babysitter for her," Brittany suggested sweetly.

Sam bit his lip and looked over at Santana, "So why do you guys want to go with us?"

"Do you really think Britt and I could go to prom and not get made fun of?" Santana shot, crossing her arms. "You'll go with me, Finn will go with Britt, and we'll hang out and dance together so it looks like we're two straight couples when _really_ we're not."

"Yeah, then nobody will make fun of us," Brittany pointed out.

Finn and Sam looked at each other. It made sense that they would go with girls to hide themselves, but that would mean finding a babysitter for Annika (and paying said babysitter) and it sounded like too much work. "Just…think about it. We want to go and you guys shouldn't miss your senior prom," Santana rolled her eyes. "We have to get to class."

She wove her arm through Brittany's and they walked down the hall before Finn and Sam could say another word. They walked into first period and the whole time Sam couldn't stop thinking about if he could even go to prom or not.

The girls didn't talk about it the rest of the day at school, and when they got home, Sam went right into the dining room where Carole sat, munching on a cookie. Finn rushed up to his room with a determined look on his face. Sam wasn't quite sure what that was about, but it didn't seem like Finn wanted to talk about it, so he didn't push it. "Annika's just taking a nap," Carole told him as he wandered into the room. "I made cookies if you want one."

She pointed to the counter and Sam greedily took a couple. He sat down at the table next to Carole and ate in silence. "What's on your mind?" she asked.

Sam sighed and said, "Well…Santana and Brittany asked Finn and I to prom today."

Carole's face broke out in a smile and she asked, "You guys said yes, right?"

"Nah," Sam shrugged. "I mean, we didn't say yes or no, they just told us to think about it. But like, that would mean we'd have to find a babysitter for Annika, and pay them, and on top of that we'd have to pay for tuxes and flowers for the girls, and it just seems like a lot of trouble."

"Do you want to go?" Carole asked.

"I don't know if I can," Sam replied sadly.

"No, sweetie, I didn't ask if you could, I asked if you _wanted_ to go," she repeated.

Sam looked over at her, kind of confused, but he found himself nodding. The thought of going to prom with a girl, even just to cover up the fact that he and Finn were dancing too close together, was kind of appealing. Going to prom was like a rite of passage. "Yeah, I want to go," he said finally.

"Well, then we'll figure things out," Carole insisted. "I'll babysit Annika for you; that's no problem."

"But…"

"Sam, I'm her grandmother! I'm happy to do it," she cut him off. "Are you sure you and Finn want to go with other people, though?"

"We can't go together," Sam said instantly. "I don't want to deal with any of that. As soon as the school finds out about us, we'd be screwed. And besides, it's for Santana and Brittany, too. Santana doesn't want anyone to find out about _them_, so it works out."

"Kurt and Blaine are going together, though," Carole pointed out.

"They're braver than the rest of us are, I guess," Sam shrugged. "I don't want to make Finn feel awkward, either."

Carole didn't say a word, and Sam finished his cookies in private. Finn came downstairs not long after their conversation ended, looking better than he had the rest of the day. Cries came from Annika's room and Sam went to care for her as Finn dug in to the cookie jar. "How'd it go?" Carole asked.

Finn took a bite of his cookie and replied, "They want to discuss it in person on registration day." Cookie crumbs flew from his mouth as he added, "I signed up for Saturday to get it done as soon as possible."

"Honey, Saturday is prom," Carole pointed out. "I thought you and Sam were going to go with Brittany and Santana?"

"Well, registration ends at 1. I could be home by 4 and still do dinner before the dance," Finn shrugged nonchalantly. "It's no big deal."

"You know I work Saturday morning, right?" Carole asked. "I have to cover for Tracy – her husband is having surgery."

Finn frowned. "I need to go though. Can I go alone?" he asked.

"And get lost? Honey, no, you're not driving three hours on your own until you absolutely have to," Carole shook her head. "You'll just have to reschedule."

"Reschedule what?" Burt asked, wandering into the room.

"My registration day," Finn grumbled. "It's on Saturday, the same day as prom, and like, I can reschedule but I don't _want_ to because I just need to get this housing thing figured out."

As Burt dried his hands after washing them in the kitchen sink, he turned to Finn and asked, "What housing thing?"

With a sigh, Finn explained, "They require freshmen to live in the dorms, but I want to bring Sam and Annika with me and get an apartment and stuff. I have an appointment with housing to try to explain my situation. I just...want to get it taken care of so Sam and I can look for a place to live."

"When is this?" Burt asked.

"Saturday morning. It ends at like 1, so I can still be back in time to get to prom," Finn explained.

"You and Sam are going together?" Burt seemed confused.

"What about me?" Sam asked, wandering into the room with Annika propped up in his arms.

She giggled and squeezed her fingers tight in his hair. Sitting down at the table, Finn tried to help get Annika's fingers out of Sam's hair, but it was proving difficult – she had quite the grip. "You guys are going to prom together?" Burt repeated.

"Well, kind of. We're going with Santana and Brittany, but they're like a _thing_ and so are me and Finn, but we're just…hiding it," Sam explained, finally wrestling his hair out of Annika's fingers.

"I'll take you to your registration day," Burt told Finn. "We'll get that out of the way and you guys can still go to prom together."

Finn and Sam looked at each other happily. "Thank you," Finn smiled, turning back to Burt.

"Yeah, no problem, guys," Burt nodded. "I'll talk to my buddy down at the tux shop too and see if we can't get some sort of discount for you."

"Thanks," Sam told him earnestly, standing to go play with Annika in the living room.

The guys accepted Santana and Brittany's proposals and by Saturday everything was in place. Santana and Brittany were going to pick up Finn and Sam (they were taking Santana's awesome new car) and then they'd have dinner at Breadstix before the dance.

Annika slept in that Saturday morning, and it was weird for Sam, being the only one in the house. Usually at least one other person was there with him, but that wasn't the case. Burt and Finn were out in Athens for Finn's registration, Kurt scheduled a facial and a mani/pedi, and Carole was at work. Sam made slow work of warming up Annika's bottle as she began stirring in her crib.

They spent most of the morning sitting in the living room, Annika squealing and giggling with her toys on a blanket on the floor and Sam reading his newest graphic novel in the rocking chair near her. The house was silent until Carole got home at noon, and she made them sandwiches to eat out on the deck. Annika sat in her stroller, her giant hat blocking her face from the sun as she watched Carole and Sam contently. "I can't get over how much she's grown," Carole commented, staring down at her.

"Me either," Sam shook his head.

Carole smiled at him and said, "I want you to know I'm proud of you, Sam. Finn too, but you especially. You've gone through _so much_, and you've handled it admirably. And you gave me a precious granddaughter on top of it all."

Sam bowed his head and felt himself blushing. "It was all pretty unexpected," he admitted.

"And you've done so well," Carole insisted. "You and Finn are going to be fine, sweetheart, and you'll always have Burt and I here if you need anything."

"Thank you," Sam replied, looking up at Carole seriously.

"Of course, Sam," she smiled, gathering his empty plate and stacking it with hers. "What do you think we should have for dessert? Brownies or cookies?"

"Cookies, definitely," Sam said with a laugh.

He'd certainly changed since Annika and moving in with the Hudson-Hummel family. Before he wouldn't even consider touching a cookie or a brownie; he had his body to take care of – that image he was so worried about keeping up. It was all out the window now. He didn't have the perfectly sculpted abs he used to – he didn't know if he'd ever have them back, but that was okay. Sam had Annika, and that was enough for him. He spoiled himself on a cookie or two now because he knew he could. He hadn't gained a bunch of weight eating Carole's desserts, and the fact of the matter was, he probably wouldn't for a while. Sam really _was_ doing better, and he was happy.

Sam turned to Annika and tickled her belly. She let out an adorable squeal of laughter and Sam couldn't help but light right along with her. Carole returned with cookies not long after and they sat and ate them, conversing lightly as Annika made soft cooing noises to herself. "It sounds like she's going to be a singer just like you and Finn are," Carole commented.

"That would be cool," Sam nodded.

They sat there a few more minutes before Sam asked, "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Of course," Carole nodded earnestly.

He leaned over to ask her what he needed to, a small smirk on his face as he did so.

When Finn and Burt got home around 4:30 with the tuxes, Carole sent Finn right upstairs to get changed. Britt and Santana would be picking them up at 5 so they could take pictures and eat dinner before the dance started at 7. Sam sat around his room, playing with Annika, waiting impatiently for the moment that Carole would come deliver the tux. When she did, he dressed almost instantly.

Just before Santana and Brittany were supposed to pick them up, Finn wandered downstairs. "Where's Sam?" he asked.

"He's back in his room," Carole smiled at him, a glint of mischief in her eye.

Finn looked confused but wandered through the house and knocked on the door. It was weird that Sam would have the door shut – usually it was open whenever they were awake. "Come in," Sam called from inside.

When Finn pushed open the door, he saw Sam sitting on his bed, reading an issue of Green Lantern to Annika. He was already dressed in his tux (and looked _very_ good, Finn noticed), but none of that was what caught his attention most. Shocked, Finn sputtered out, "You…you cut your hair."

Sam's hair was now cut shorter, kind of like Finn's, and it wasn't blonde. It was a light brown color and was styled perfectly. "Yeah," Sam replied, closing the comic book and climbing off the bed, Annika curling up against his chest. "Annika kept pulling at it and I was getting tired of Kurt dying it all the time, so I just kind of…gave up on all that." When Finn didn't reply, Sam instantly panicked and said, "You hate it, don't you?"

"No," Finn shook his head, still staring at Sam's hair. When his eyes finally met Sam's, he said softly, "I really like it, actually."

Sam's face broke out into a smile and they just stared at each other for a minute. They were broken from their daze by the doorbell ringing, and they made their way out to the living room. Santana and Brittany looked breathtaking and Carole posed them outside for the obligatory photos (Kurt was over at Blaine's house for photos and a homemade meal courtesy of Blaine as well) before they said one last goodbye to Annika and made their way to Breadstix.

Dinner was surprisingly comfortable, Finn and Sam on one side of the booth, Santana and Brittany facing them on the other. They were surrounded by McKinley couples and it felt good not to get weird stares or rude comments as they ate their dinner. To everyone else they looked like two normal, straight couples, and it was nice. Brittany didn't care one way or the other if people knew, but the rest of the people at the table did, even though it would be easier just to snuggle up to the person they were next to.

They got to the school just as the dance was starting and bypassed the photo booth with their sights set instead on the dance floor. The glee club had already started a circle up front, right in the middle, and they were dancing happily around each other. Everything seemed to be going smoothly and Finn and Sam were actually having a good time, considering they weren't really dancing with each other at all, just their dates.

The problem came when a slow song started playing.

Steely faced and determined, Kurt and Blaine made their way to the center. Their arms wrapped around each other and they pointedly ignored everyone else's stares. Many of the students weren't even bothering to slow dance with anyone else, they were so distracted by (and in some cases, disgusted by), Kurt and Blaine's display of affection. When someone yelled 'faggot' through the crowd, it looked like Santana was going to whip those razors out of her hair or something. "Screw this," she muttered, reaching out for Brittany.

She sent a dangerous look at Finn and Sam, almost daring them to do the same, as she dragged Brittany out to the dance floor and into a tight embrace. They started dancing to the music as well, and a voice, this time from the other side of the gym, called out 'dykes!'

Finn glared at all the people just standing there, staring like what was happening was sick, like it was some sort of abomination. He leaned over subtly to whisper to Sam, "You want to?"

Sam's head whipped around to look at Finn, shocked. Finn just shrugged. "It'll show them," he pointed out.

With a look of determination on his face, Sam nodded and reached over for Finn's hand. It was weird, being led out to the dance floor in front of everyone by another guy, but it was exhilarating at the same time. They were taking a stand – they were _really_ doing something. Not to mention this was the first time Finn and Sam were going to dance together and it seemed kind of exciting.

They stopped near Kurt, Blaine, Brittany, and Santana and turned to face each other. Both boys took a deep breath and Finn's hands wound themselves around Sam's waist. Sam reached up and held Finn by the back of his neck, their bodies fitting together perfectly, touching from shoulder to hip. They swayed to the music and when they were so wrapped up in each other, it was easy to forget the crowd of people staring at them. If anyone shouted rude remarks, they were too distracted to hear.

When the rest of the school realized that none of them were going to stop dancing, they began turning back to their prom dates, moving away from the gay couples in the gym just to make sure they didn't "catch anything." One of the jocks mumbled something about glee turning people gay, but nobody _in_ glee club even seemed to notice.

As the song slowly came to a close, Sam stared up into Finn's eyes and slowly they burst out into laughter. "Oh my god," Sam muttered, grinning.

"We just did that," Finn nodded slowly, the realization hitting him.

They'd just come out to the entire school. The best part was, neither of them cared. If anything, they just felt better about themselves. The rest of the night, Brittany and Santana danced with each other and Finn and Sam didn't leave each other's sight.

Brittany and Santana dropped them off at home after the dance and quietly, both boys went up to Finn's room. They turned on the baby monitor in case Annika woke up in the middle of the night, but otherwise they just shucked their tuxes and crawled into Finn's bed wearing nothing but boxers. "Tonight was fun," Sam commented absentmindedly.

Finn yawned and nodded, replying with a muffled, "Yeah."

They snuggled up, Sam's face buried in the crook of Finn's neck, and just as Sam felt himself drifting off to sleep, Finn asked, "Sam?"

"Yeah?" Sam asked sleepily, his breath tickling Finn's neck.

Finn shivered at the feeling before sighing. The words hurt to even think about – saying them would suck even more. Sam waited impatiently as Finn built up his nerve. After several long moments, Finn took a deep breath and said, "I have to live in the dorms next year. We can't live together."


	9. Chapter 9

After Finn dropped the bomb on Sam that the apartment plan was basically scrapped, the two hadn't exactly been on speaking terms. Sam didn't say a word as he fought both tears and rage – instead he pretended to be asleep and eventually Finn dozed off. As soon as Finn started snoring, Sam crawled out of bed and tugged on a pair of Finn's sweatpants before wandering downstairs to his own room. Sam wasn't really sure what his emotions were doing, and his mind was racing, but he quietly crawled into bed and stared over at Annika sadly.

Why hadn't Finn told him sooner? He probably signed up to live in the dorms that morning when he'd registered – it really angered Sam that Finn hadn't bothered to say a single word beforehand. Warning would be nice, especially now that Sam had been counting on the apartment. Finn _promised_ he wouldn't leave them, and he just casually admitted that he was like it was no big deal.

Sleep didn't claim Sam until stray beams of sunlight were peeking through the curtains. He'd barely gotten a few hours of sleep before Annika woke up, and even though Sam lay there as she cried, hoping Finn would get up and take care of her, he didn't. Sam was on his own it seemed. Tears stung at his eyes as he climbed out of bed, frustrated and beyond tired. "Come on Annie," Sam mumbled, calling her by the nickname he'd chosen for her as he scooped her up and out of the crib.

Sam tried to get her to take her pacifier, but she wouldn't. Instead Annika just squirmed and cried on the dressing table as he replaced her diaper with a new, dry one. "Shh, shh, it's okay," he insisted, snapping her sleeper closed. "It's okay, Annie, come on…"

He muttered to her, humming a tune between his pleas as he tried to get her to take her pacifier, if only to subdue her cries until he'd warmed up her bottle. "Just…Annika, seriously," he said firmly, glaring down at her.

Everyone else in the house was asleep and Sam felt awful that they were being so loud on a Saturday. He also wished Finn was there to help him, but that was a different mess entirely. Sam walked out into the kitchen, the house still silent except for Annika's wailing, and with one shaky hand, Sam warmed up her bottle. He took her into the living room and started feeding her. "God, it's about time you shut up," he muttered darkly, glaring around the room.

Finn watched from the top of the stairs as Sam's eyes, dangerous and dark, scanned the room like he was in hell. He looked absolutely miserable and tired. Finn had noticed around two that morning that Sam had left and it wasn't totally surprising, but he hadn't even _said_ anything after Finn told him, and that wasn't really nice. Finn told him as soon as he had a chance to, and he had tried, _really tried_ to change the school's mind.

The problem was, they didn't believe that Finn was a father with another guy.

Even after Burt tried to explain and even claimed that they could provide medical proof, the housing office stood their ground. Burt's first instinct was to pull Finn out and have him enroll somewhere else, but Finn insisted he'd make things work. The full ride scholarship was too much to turn down, especially considering how much Juilliard was going to cost for Kurt.

Finn sat on the stairs sadly, watching as Sam's expression softened. Annika was now a calm, snuggly bundle in his arms and always had the right effect on a person. One look from her innocent blue eyes and all your anger just kind of floated away, no matter what, even if she'd been the one to make you so frustrated in the first place. Finn loved that about her, and being so far away broke his heart.

The entire drive back from registration Finn had wracked his brain for ways to get Sam and Annika in Athens with him – they _had_ to go with. The thought of moving away from his family was too difficult to imagine, and he'd begged Burt to tell him what to do.

Burt, unfortunately, had no words.

Mid-morning Sam got a call from his mom. He seemed surprised at first, but by the time he hung up the phone, there was actually a faint trace of a smile on his face. It made Finn happy that something could cheer Sam up, even if it wasn't him (only because Sam kept avoiding him). He got Annika all bundled up in her car seat and left the house without so much as a goodbye to Finn. "Where's he going?" Finn asked his mom.

He watched Sam drive away in Carole's car, confused. "He's going to have lunch with his mom," Carole explained. "She's got good news for him, I guess."

Finn frowned and turned back to his homework; it was the only thing that could even mildly distract him from thinking about Sam and his housing predicament. Eventually he let himself get dragged away to the mall with Kurt and Carole, so when Sam got back, he was met by an empty house. "Hello?" he asked, looking around the house as he shucked his jacket and took Annika out of her car seat.

"Yeah?" Burt shouted from the back of the house where his and Carole's room was.

He wandered out, freshly showered after a day in the garage. "How was lunch with your mom?" he asked Sam hopefully.

"Good," Sam nodded, walking into the living room.

He sat on the rocking chair, Annika cradled in his arm, and Burt sat on the sofa. "She told me what you guys did for her," Sam nodded. "You helped her get my dad out of there – that's…thank you."

Sam still seemed as overwhelmed by it all now as he had been when his mom had first explained it all. He couldn't believe his father would _actually_ hit his mother. His dad had hit _him_, but that was different. On top of that he'd hurt Stevie and bruised his arm, and poor Stacy couldn't even be in the same room as him without crying. "Where's your dad at now?" Burt asked protectively.

Sam sighed and said, "Mom took out a restraining order and he decided to just move. He's back in Tennessee where we used to live, I guess."

"Good," Burt nodded. "I'm glad to hear that."

Sam just nodded. "Something's bothering you," Burt commented, watching as Sam stared sadly down at Annika. Sam just nodded. With a sigh, Burt asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Mom asked me to move back home," Sam said softly, looking up at Burt.

Burt didn't speak for a moment. Sam looked almost hopeful as he said it, and Burt just _knew_. "Finn told you, didn't he?" he asked.

Any look of happiness on Sam's face disappeared the instant Burt brought it up, now replaced with cold indifference. "Yeah, he did," Sam said nonchalantly.

Burt could tell he was upset, though. "When did he tell you?" Burt asked.

"Last night after prom," Sam sighed. "Just out of nowhere. I don't get it – he promised."

"Did he explain?" Burt pressed.

Sam shook his head and admitted, "I didn't really let him, though."

"He tried, Sam," Burt explained. "He tried _so hard_ to get them to change their mind. Finn really cares about you guys, and it's breaking his heart that he has to do this."

"So why doesn't he just go to college somewhere else?" Sam shot, looking over at Burt, upset. "He doesn't _have_ to go to school there."

Burt sighed and said, "He does, though. Finn feels like this school is his only shot at giving you guys a good life – he's got a full ride scholarship, and that's going to make life easier for you guys when he graduates. You know, with no student loans to pay off and stuff. He's so torn right now, Sam. He wants to be with you guys but he _knows_ he can't let this opportunity go."

Sam frowned and asked, defeated, "So what am I supposed to do?"

"Well," Burt began, thinking things through. "It seems to me you've got a few options here. You can still try to make an apartment work, but money is going to be tough – paying rent for yourself in a bigger city like that, plus taking care of Annika – it won't be easy. You could also move back in with your mother. Or, like I've said before, you're _always_ welcome here, Sam. Whether Finn is living under this roof or not, you're a part of the family and we love you like one of our own."

Sam looked over at Burt, looking sad and overwhelmed. "This is your decision, Sam," Burt insisted. "Finn made his choice, now you need to make yours. A three hour distance might suck, but it's better than nothing, and you guys have worked too hard to make this work in a town like this just to let it go to waste."

Burt stood from his place on the sofa and walked over to Sam. He gave Sam a strong pat on the shoulder and said, "Whatever you choose, it should be what _you_ want, Sam, because you deserve happiness just like anyone else. You've made it through a lot and I'm proud of you for that."

Sam nodded and spoke softly, "Thank you."

"If you need to talk, I'm here," Burt said, wandering into the kitchen.

With another nod, Sam turned his attention back to Annika, who was starting to fuss. Sam fed her and put her down for a nap. When he emerged from their room, closing the door softly behind him so he wouldn't wake Annika, Sam saw Finn, Kurt, and Carole wandering into the house, their hands full of bags from their afternoon at the mall. Sam greeted them softly as they went to their respective rooms. Deciding that they should just get the talk out of the way, Sam wandered up the stairs behind Finn.

Just as Finn was about to shut the door to his bedroom, Sam held out his hand to stop it. "Hey," he said softly.

Finn spun around and looked surprised. He hadn't expected Sam to ever talk to him again, especially not so soon. "Hi," Finn replied breathlessly.

"We need to talk," Sam sighed, looking at Finn seriously.

"Look, I'm sorry," Finn began quickly as Sam walked into the room. The door clicked behind him as Finn continued, "I really don't want to leave you guys behind. I love you guys but…I can't get out of this. If I'm going to give us a good life in the future I have to do this now, you know? And like, otherwise I don't know how I'd afford things, and…"

"Finn, shut up," Sam interrupted.

Finn stared over at Sam, almost scared of what he was going to say. "I don't know what my plans are anymore," Sam shrugged.

It wasn't true though. Knowing that Finn and Kurt were going to be gone, Sam couldn't stay in the Hummel-Hudson house. The guilt of living with someone else when he could be back with his mom was too great; he'd already taken so much from this family, their money, their kindness…he'd never be able to pay them back as it was – stealing four more years from there was more than Sam could bear to have on his conscience.

Finn stared at Sam with bright, hopeful eyes at his statement. "So…we're okay?" Finn asked hopefully.

Sam's eyes met Finn's with an indescribable expression. He just shrugged and offered a small smile. Finn beamed and reached out for Sam, pulling him into a kiss. Finn couldn't get over how awesome it was kissing Sam, even though his hair was shorter and there wasn't as much to get his fingers caught in (which was totally a good thing…Sam's hair was _always_ soft). His heart pounded in his chest as Sam's arms wrapped around Finn's waist and tugged him close, clinging to him almost.

This was it. To Finn, this was the first moment of the rest of their lives.

Finn kissed Sam fervently, sucking on his lip the way he knew Sam liked it, and taking it slow because sometimes Sam would get in a weird mood and not want to go further. Sam's hands clawed at Finn's back, though, urging him closer, even though their bodies were already as close as they could be. Being this close with Sam felt good, and Finn felt a funny thing in his chest at the thought of this moment as the new beginning of everything – no more fighting, no more struggles – just the two of them, growing up with Annika and being a family.

Sam kissed Finn, his eyes squished shut and his arms holding Finn close for fear that he'd let go and leave at any moment. Sam knew it was foolish because Finn seemed so eager, but it might happen – no, it _would_ happen if Finn knew what Sam was really going to do. Kissing Finn the way he was, holding him so close, their bodies practically one in the middle of the room, was breaking Sam's heart. Leaving Finn was going to kill them both, and the fact that this was their last time together was almost too much to bear.

Sam felt the sting of tears in his eyes and he willed them to go away as Finn slowly began undressing Sam, pressing kisses along his neck and chest as he did so. When Finn guided Sam to his bed and slowly lowered him down against the mattress, Sam just went along with it. Finn's kisses were so light and gentle and sent the blood rushing straight to his groin. The fact that this would be their last time together loomed in Sam's mind and he had to wipe the tears away while Finn wasn't looking.

He responded to everything Finn was doing and tried to savor the feelings and remember them for the days when he'd be alone – nobody wanted to date a single parent and Sam knew this and accepted this. Finn was it for him for a long time. Losing himself in the moment, Sam didn't even really notice when Finn removed his own clothes because what he was doing with his hands and mouth were far too distracting.

Finn fumbled through his bedside table before climbing between Sam's legs nervously. Their eyes met and Sam hoped it wasn't obvious that he was on the verge of tears. Finn kissed him softly, passionately almost, and Sam felt his heart clench in his chest. Finn was so genuine and _nice_ to him, and he probably didn't even realize the full weight of what was happening. "Tell me if I hurt you, okay?" Finn whispered, his voice quivering, as he pulled away to slick up his fingers.

Sam nodded and watched as Finn pulled his face in concentration, staring down at his body in awe. Sam wanted to shrink in on himself, to hide his horrible scar from when he'd had Annika and how his cock was red and leaking against his torso, so desperate for more. Sam groaned as Finn slid in one finger, and almost instantly another. Finn crooked his fingers and moved slowly, sometimes reaching up to stroke Sam or himself as he did so. Adding a third finger didn't even feel strange anymore, and Sam found himself pleading for Finn to continue.

Slowly Finn rolled on a condom and slicked it up before moving above Sam, resting between his legs, a loving, endearing look on his face. That innocent face of Finn's combined with Finn slowly pressing inside of Sam was all it took – Sam felt tears welling in his eyes. He clung to Finn, tugging their bodies together as Finn slid in smoothly.

Sam's face buried in the crook of Finn's neck, the few tears cascading down his cheeks mixing with the sweat and getting lost between their bodies. Finn moved his hips, the feeling of being completely surrounded by Sam sending a thrill right through him. Lazily Finn ran his hand along Sam's chest, grazing across his nipple. Sam moaned and arched off the bed, his head thrown back against the pillows. Finn stared at Sam, his face glistening and so emotional and something Finn wasn't used to seeing. He kissed at Sam's neck as he continued moving his hips, sliding his body against Sam's, their skin sticking slightly with sweat.

Sam let out a soft whimper, half because of his tears and half because it felt so damn good. He swore for a minute there that Finn had figured out that he was crying, but apparently ignorance kind of _was_ bliss. All he saw was love between them – it broke Sam's heart but he just lost himself to the moment, his hand reaching between them lazily. "C'mon…" Sam breathed. "Faster…"

Finn did as Sam asked, moving their bodies together faster, the friction sending Finn towards the edge. When Sam realized that everyone else was still home and they'd let things get out of hand, his hands pulled Finn even closer and he begged softly, "Mm…more…oh god…"

Sam let out a heavy breath as Finn's hips sped up, the faint slap of skin on skin echoing throughout the room as they both reached their end. Sam reached between them and jerked himself lazily as Finn's hips bucked, losing their rhythm; Sam could tell Finn was close.

This was it: the final moment for the two of them. Sam let out a high-pitched whimper as he felt his orgasm wash over him, his eyes squeezing shut and forcing more tears to fall down his face. Finn's hips froze, his dick buried deep inside Sam, as he came as well, and Sam let out one last whimper as a whole new wave of tears cascaded down his face. Finn nuzzled Sam's neck playfully as he muttered, "I love you, Sam…"

Sam's words got caught in his throat and he just nodded, holding Finn close, begging his tears to subside before Finn thought to look him in the eye. They panted against each other, skin still sticky and sweaty. Sam kept his eyes shut as Finn slowly pulled out and flopped to the side.

It wasn't until they were both lying on their backs, the door now in sight, that they realized it was open and there was a tall, burly, _very angry_ man in the doorway. "Get dressed and get downstairs. _Now_," Burt barked angrily.

He turned and left the room, the door still open, stomping down the stairs. Finn and Sam stared at the doorway in shock. "Shit," Finn whispered, burying his face in his hands.

Sam just sighed and buried his face in his hands, taking this opportunity to wipe away the tears before Finn could notice them. This was _not_ going to be good.


	10. Chapter 10

If Finn thought he'd seen Burt at his angriest, he was completely wrong. Burt was absolutely fuming. "I asked you boys not to be inappropriate in my house!" he shouted at them as they sat, staring guiltily at their laps, on the sofa. "Did you not learn your lesson before? I love Annika, don't get me wrong, but you two are far too young to have a family!"

"He's not going to get pregnant again," Finn argued. "We used a condom."

"And you did last time too, didn't you?" Burt pointed out.

He was of course referring to when Annika had been conceived, completely unaware of what the boys had done on Valentine's Day. Neither spoke as they realized his point. "You guys…we trusted you," Burt said, defeated.

He stared at them, completely disappointed in their behavior. These boys were already dealing with enough – if they screwed things up again, Burt wasn't sure how much he could fix. Sighing, he said, "From now on, if you're in someone's room, the door stays open. _No matter what_. Annika could be screaming and crying while the rest of us are sleeping – I don't care. This is unacceptable and I will not let you do it again."

Finn opened his mouth to argue, but Burt cut him off, "Once you guys are out on your own, you can do what you want, but when you live under my roof, you follow my rules."

He sighed and walked out of the room, leaving Finn and Sam to sit on the couch in shock. "I…I'm sorry…" Finn mumbled.

Sam just sighed. "You know what? It's okay," Sam insisted, turning to look at Finn. "I mean, we don't need to do it _all the time_ anyway, and it's almost summertime so we'll be plenty busy working and stuff."

Finn wasn't quite sure what Sam meant by all of that, but he supposed it was true. Graduation crept up on them and Annika was perfectly behaved throughout that. She was seven months old by then and never stopped smiling. At their graduation dinner that evening at Breadstix, Burt took Sam to the side. "So, Sam…have you decided where you'll be staying yet?" he asked.

Sam sighed. He knew the answer, but telling them would just hurt their feelings, he feared. With a shrug, he lied, "Well, I was going to ask my mom a few things before I made up my mind."

Burt nodded, "Okay, well, when you do figure it out, let me know. We'd love for you to stay but I understand if you choose not to."

Sam smiled kindly at Burt and said, "I'll let you know soon."

Not long after that, everyone began finishing their meals and paying the waitress. After dinner, Sam's mom stopped him on his way out of the restaurant and asked hopefully, "Are you going to move back home?"

Sam looked at her for a moment, not quite sure what to say. He wanted to, he really did, but the more he thought about things, the more it didn't really make sense. Moving back in with his mom would effectively mean he'd be taking Annika away from Finn, not to mention he'd have no form of transportation like he did living with the Hummel-Hudsons. "What…what would moving back mean?" Sam asked nervously.

"Well," his mom considered it, not expecting such a question from him. "I guess…you'd stay home with the kids during the day while I worked, then I'd like it if you could get a job and work during the nighttime. Paying the bills isn't going to be easy and I think it's only fair if you pitch in."

Sam bit his lip. It sounded like a lot of work, and not a lot of sleep. He nodded and said, "I have to talk to Finn, but…I'll decide soon. I swear."

"Okay, sweetie," she smiled, pulling him into a hug.

Sam hugged her back, a million thoughts running through his mind. He knelt down in front of Stevie and Stacy and said brightly, "I'll see you guys soon, okay?"

He beamed at them and they both rushed forward to embrace him, almost pushing him over as they did so. He laughed and patted them both on the back before they stepped away and he stood. "Bye, guys," he waved as they walked away to their car.

Sam's mom sent him one last smile, hoping in her heart that he would move home, before Finn asked, "What was that all about?"

Sam hadn't even realized Finn was behind him. He spun around to face Finn and said, "She just asked if I was moving back or not."

Finn's smile fell as he asked, "Are you?"

Shrugging, Sam admitted, "I don't know. Maybe."

The truth was, he had been all for moving back with his mom – things seemed easier that way, and it would be a lot less stress for Burt and Carole, having two fewer people under their roof to care for. Not to mention Kurt and Finn would be leaving in a few months anyway, so it would be weird for Sam to stay. But the thing was, Sam didn't know how he could possibly watch three kids all day, go to work afterwards, find time to get enough sleep, and do it all over again. With Burt and Carole, he still had someone to watch Annika during the day so he could work and make some money so one day Sam could be out on his own with his baby girl.

Finn adjusted Annika's baby carrier on his arm and suggested, "We should go home. We don't have to talk about this now. We graduated!"

Finn was so excited about it all, and Sam just smiled as well. Back when Sam first found out he was pregnant, graduating seemed like a far-off possibility, and maybe even something he'd never end up doing. Now that he had, however, life seemed a little better. Maybe things were going to go right for him, at least a little longer.

With June came job searching, and Sam was starting to second guess his urge to move back in with his mom. The pressure to get a job wasn't as high, not to mention it was easier if he and Finn were in the same house – that way if one worked and the other didn't, there was no driving across town to trade her off. Finally, Sam plucked up the courage and called his mom to tell her he was staying with Finn at the Hummel-Hudson house. "It's okay, Sammy," she had told him, her voice full of disappointment. "Finn and Annika are your family, and it's admirable that you want to stay with them."

"Thanks mom," he replied gratefully.

She'd ended the call by saying if he ever changed his mind, she was there, and Sam was thankful for this. He still wasn't sure how things would be once Kurt and Finn moved away to college and liked knowing he had a backup plan. Two weeks into summer Finn was back to working in the garage with Burt, setting money aside for Annika and college. Sam still hadn't found anything and was starting to feel like a deadbeat, just sitting at home with Annika all summer. He loved her and spending time with her was great, but he had to support her just as much as Finn did.

One afternoon in June as Annika was napping, Sam made a phone call to a friend across town. It rang a few times before Sam heard the familiar greeting, "You're go for Puck."

"Hey Puck, it's Sam," Sam began awkwardly. "I was uh…I was wondering if you needed any help with your pool cleaning business this summer."

Puck didn't speak for a moment, and when he did, he spoke slowly, almost embarrassed, "You…you _do_ know that I don't just clean pools, right? That there's…more to it than that?"

"Well, yeah, but I figure you still clean their pool, so why don't we just team up or something. I can clean while you…do the rest," Sam suggested lamely.

Again, Puck was quiet, this time thinking over Sam's offer. "It would speed things up so I can get to more places faster. We'd have to increase the rates a little bit if you and I wanna make enough money, but I like your idea," Puck ranted, thinking out loud as he weighed options. "Deal. When do you have Annika? I can work around that for scheduling – most people call on weekends though. Think you can do that?"

Sam nodded and said, "Yeah, I mean, Finn helps Burt in the garage during the day but Kurt has just kind of been sitting around so he can watch Annie if Finn can't."

"Sweet," Puck replied. "I'll teach you how to clean on Friday and we'll start going out there as a duo on Saturday. Deal?"

"Deal," Sam grinned.

It wasn't much, and it kind of sounded illegal, at least on Puck's end of the deal, but a job was a job and Sam needed to support Annika too – he couldn't just sit around and expect Finn to do it all.

On a Monday night near the end of June, Finn and Sam were sitting around Annika and Sam's room, watching her play with her toys, laughing whenever she'd squeal or accidentally throw a doll against the wall. She could sit up on her own and crawl across the room and it was really amazing to both of them how mobile she was. She still seemed so young; it was hard to believe that this was _normal_ for someone her age. Sam still had the urge to cradle her and never let go of her, but he had to. For Finn, it was weird feeding her food from a jar instead just giving her a bottle – she grew so fast the thought of everything he'd miss hung over him like this horrible reminder of what was to come. He should be happy about college, but sometimes he just _couldn't_ be.

They watched as Annika crawled across the room to where her favorite doll still rested behind the bars of her crib. Ever so slowly, she reached up, grasping at the edge of the crib, using the corner post to pull herself until she was supporting herself against the bars. Sam and Finn stared, wide eyed and bursting with pride, as she moved her hands along the bars on the crib, slowly scooting herself step by step along the edge of the crib. "Did…did she just kind of walk?" Finn asked.

Annika tugged at the doll and slowly she managed to pull it between the bars and out of the crib. She squealed and shook the toy in the air, happy to have freed it from its crib cage. "She totally did," Sam replied, equally as surprised.

She giggled and looked over at Finn and Sam, waving the doll in front of her. "What did you do?" Sam asked happily, holding his arms out.

Annika's grin never faded as she turned away from the crib, both hands on her doll now. She stood on wobbly feet, her toes curling into the carpet as Finn watched her in amazement. As soon as she lifted a food, she tumbled down, losing her balance and falling with a soft squish on her bum. Her smile disappeared and she just sat there for a minute, staring at her fathers like she didn't know if she was supposed to cry or not. "That was so good!" Sam praised.

Annika's smile returned at that, and Finn couldn't help but smile as well. "Good job, sweets," he told her.

Finn tapped her on the nose to distract her before bringing his fingers down to her tummy and tickling her, laughing as he did so. Annika erupted in giggles and squeals and Sam couldn't help but laugh along with them.

It was little moments like those that Sam wished Finn didn't have to leave, and that he and Finn would actually have a chance to keep their family together.

Sam caught on quickly to the pool cleaning business, and he tried not to look _too _disgusted when Puck would wander out to the pool Sam was working on, a satisfied smirk on his face and several crisp bills curled up in his hand. Sam was starting to have quite the savings built up, sitting there in the back of his dresser for a moment when he knew he'd need it.

The end of July rolled around, and the days with Finn still in the house were numbered. Kurt's orientation was the beginning of August, and he'd gotten the keys to his apartment with Blaine and Rachel in New York. Burt and Carole had both driven out to New York with Kurt, Burt's truck and Kurt's Navigator stuffed with Kurt's belongings. They left for a week in New York everyone and their parents helping move their stuff into the apartment and being the overprotective parents they are – being sure that Blaine, Kurt, and Rachel had everything they needed to live on their own.

That meant that Finn and Sam had the house to themselves (with Annika of course) and Burt, against his better judgment, trusted them to be alone. This particular afternoon, Finn and Sam were out in the backyard with Annika (after they had slathered her in sunscreen, of course), playing and watching as she crawled around her blanket, making faces whenever her fingers would accidentally touch the grass. For some reason, Annika hated the feeling of grass and cringed whenever she touched it. The face she'd make would reduce Sam and Finn to a fit of laughter, but they had set down a blanket for her anyway.

They sat in the backyard for a while, Annika playing with a shovel and pail and a little water gun that Puck had given her (every girl needs a way to protect herself, he had said). It wasn't until the mosquitoes came out that Sam decided they needed to go back in the house. Finn scooped Annika up in his arms and she watched as Sam folded up the blanket. "C'mon, let's go inside," Sam said, walking past them towards the patio door.

"Noooo!" she screamed, kicking and hitting at Finn.

No had been her new word that week, and she used it whenever she got the chance, even if she really meant yes. Sam was desperately trying to teach her the difference, but so far it hadn't been working. "No!" she continued shouting, thrashing her limbs trying to get Finn to set her down.

Sam and Finn exchanged a quick glance before Finn set her down on the porch. She stopped screaming almost instantly and stared up at him, confused. Sam and Finn stared down at her and waited for her to do something. Slowly she leaned forward, shifting her feet so she could stand. Ever so slowly she pushed herself up, teetering in her tiny little pink Converse. "You want to walk?" Sam asked, holding his hand out to her.

Slowly, almost as if she thought moving would make her fall over, Annika reached up and wrapped her hand into Sam's. Finn watched in amazement as Annika slowly picked up one foot and set it barely in front of her. She moved at a snail's pace, focusing on each move before she made it. One foot in front of the other, struggling to keep her balance, Annika took a few steps forward, her hand gripping Sam's tightly. "Good job Annika!" Finn told her happily, clapping for her.

She let go of Sam's hand to clap right along with him, a small giggle erupting from her lips before she reached out for Finn. He had the impulse to scoop her up and cuddle her, but something inside him kept him from doing so. Instead, he watched as she picked up her foot and teetered on the spot before planting it in front of her. Sam's eyes widened and he glanced up at Finn before turning his attention right back to Annika. She moved her other foot slowly, this time losing her balance and plopping onto her butt. She pouted for a moment as Finn and Sam both crouched down to help.

As fast as she had fallen, Annika was already pushing herself back up, onto her feet, her arms outstretched at her sides for balance. Finn took a few steps back, his arms outstretched, as he said, "Come here, Annie."

Annika stood in place for a minute, looking between Finn, who was kneeling in front of her, and Sam, who was crouched behind her in case she fell again. "You can do it, honey," Sam insisted. "Walk to Papa."

Slowly Annika lifted her right foot and planted it in front of her. She did the same with her left foot and slowly built momentum until she walked, all by herself, right into Finn's arms. "Good job!" he told her, hugging her close.

Annika giggled and jumped in his arms before he turned her around so she was facing Sam. "Can you walk to Daddy now?" Finn asked, pointing out towards Sam.

Bright blue eyes met Sam's and she giggled. Slowly Finn let go of Annika, leaving her to gather her balance on her own. Just as slowly as before, she put one foot in front of the other, her face fixed in concentration. Sam watched, amazed, as Annika slowly made her way right into his arms, all by herself. He scooped her up into a hug and smiled, "Good job Annie!"

She giggled and snuggled into his chest. "Do you want to walk again?" he asked her.

"No," she told him, a bright smile on her face.

This was exactly the sort of situation Sam was not looking forward to. Did she really mean no, or was she just saying that so she could speak? There was only one way to find out, so he started leaning over to set her down on the porch. As he did so, she tucked her legs up to her body, refusing to let them touch the ground. "I guess she really meant no," Finn laughed.

Sam stood up straight and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so," he smiled.

They walked back into the house and Finn took the blanket from Sam to put away. "Good job, Annie," he told her, kissing her forehead before walking through the house to the linen closet.

"Yeah, you were really good today, honey," Sam told her.

She was still snuggled into his chest; he could tell she was getting tired. That night she fell asleep almost as soon as they sat down in her rocker, leaving Finn and Sam enough time to cuddle up on the couch for a movie.

The bliss and happiness wouldn't last long, though. Once Burt and Carole got back, Sam found himself getting sick. "We must have brought something back from New York with us," Burt said.

He hadn't been feeling well most of the drive home and had been in bed ever since with a horrible stomach ache. The whole house seemed dreary now that Kurt was gone and his room empty. The mood had shifted and everyone could already tell how much Burt missed Kurt. Kurt had more opportunities out there, though, and that was something Burt had to tell himself every day. Sam stayed curled up in bed as well, which meant Finn had more time with Annika. He was grateful for this, even though Sam was sick, because he was leaving for college soon – too soon – and he was going to miss her _so much_.

It wasn't any better when Sam woke her up early on the morning Finn was supposed to leave for college. Sam and Annika sat around their room as Finn and Burt loaded up Finn's truck with stuff. Between Burt keeping Finn focused and Carole distracting him with little things he might have forgotten, Finn didn't even realize Sam and Annika were awake. They emerged when the excitement died down and Finn, Carole, and Burt stood by the door. "Oh my god…you're awake," Finn said, relieved.

He'd wanted to go into their room and wake them, but Carole insisted that with Sam not feeling well and Annika cutting her molars, waking them up wasn't a good idea. He walked over to them and pulled them both into a hug, Annika sandwiched just perfectly between Finn and Sam. She stared between them as Finn slowly stepped away. He reached out for her and Annika happily climbed into his arms. "Hey sweets," he said, his voice cracking as he realized what he was doing.

Annika buried her face in his shirt and her little hands clung wrapped into the fabric. It was like she knew what was going on without even being told. Sam watched sadly as Annika clung to Finn like she never wanted him to leave. Sam didn't want him to leave, either, but the decision had already been made. "I'll see you soon, Annie, I promise," Finn said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

He held her close for a moment as everyone else watched, stuck to the spot, as Finn said goodbye. "I have to go, baby," he told her quietly, stepping towards Sam. "Come on, now, go to Daddy."

Annika whimpered and it broke Finn's heart. "Come on," Sam reached out to her. "Daddy needs to go."

"No!" Annika cried.

Her eyes were watering and she was clinging to Finn tighter than ever before. Carole stepped forward and slowly coaxed Annika away. "Come on, Annie, let Daddy and Papa talk, okay?" she asked, walking away as Annika cried into her shoulder.

Finn and Sam's eyes met and they stared at each other seriously for a moment. "Kurt…Kurt set up Skype on my laptop," Finn nodded. "It should be on the computer here, too. I'll talk to you guys on there all the time, okay?"

Sam just nodded. He felt like if he tried to speak, he'd just cry instead. Saying goodbye to Finn was hard, and it was even more difficult with Annika crying into Carole's shoulder just feet away. "I'm really going to miss you, Sam," Finn confessed.

Sam nodded again, looking down at the floor so Finn wouldn't see how near tears he really was. Finn's arms reached out for Sam and pulled him into a strong hug, his arms wrapped around Sam's waist firmly. Sam reached out and wove his own arms around Finn's shoulders, pulling him close. It was surprising to Sam how difficult it was to say goodbye, especially considering how much he'd tried to push Finn away since graduation to try to ease the pain. "God, I love you, Sam…" Finn whispered.

Sam responded by pulling Finn closer, nodding into his shoulder and letting a few stray tears fall from his eyes onto Finn's tee shirt. As much as Burt didn't want to, he had to interrupt them. "Come on, Finn, we need to go," Burt said from the doorway, sadness in his eyes.

Finn looked over to Burt for a second before meeting Sam's eyes once more. Slowly he wiped one lone tear from Sam's face and leaned down to press his lips to Sam's. "I'll talk to you soon, I promise," he told Sam as he pulled away.

Sam just sighed and nodded. Finn stepped away slowly, making his way over to his mom. He planted another kiss on Annika's forehead before whispering, "Bye, sweetheart."

Sam walked over to Carole as Annika continued crying into her shoulder. "Come here, Annie," Sam said, taking her from Carole gently. "I've got you."

She cried into Sam's shoulder and he followed Finn, Carole, and Burt out the door and into the driveway. Burt instructed Finn to follow him and Carole the whole way there as they made their ways to their separate vehicles. "We'll be back in time for dinner," Carole told Sam, kissing him lightly on the forehead before getting into her car where Burt was already seated in the driver's seat.

Finn couldn't speak as he got into his truck. "No!" Annika screamed as he shut the door.

Finn felt his heart breaking as he heard Annika's shouting from outside the truck. He didn't want to leave, but one day – hopefully – she'd realize why he'd done it. Looking at Sam and Annika hurt too much though, and Finn pointedly looked anywhere but at them.

"Shh, sweetie, that's enough," Sam told her, covering her mouth gently.

Her wails weren't muted though as Burt pulled out of the drive and Finn followed right behind him. "No! No! No!" Annika repeated over and over again.

Sam watched, his own tears falling down his face as they drove away and disappeared around the corner. His heart broke as he wondered if that was one of the last times they'd ever be like that – a family – ever again. Sam's stomach churned, and whether it was from Finn leaving or something else, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.


End file.
